Author Fighters: War With The Legacy
by Nukid
Summary: Sequel to Zodiacs. Nukid has settled well into the Author Fighters, but when a new CP9 appear, intent on destroying him and the AF, the Author Fighters must fight for their lives once agains. But as they fight, Drake grows closer to becoming Darkside king
1. Prologue: The Darkside God: King Rasets

Hey everyone, welcome to chapter one of this new AF fic. To those who don't know, this is the sequel to the AF fic I'm proud to say I wrote "War With The Zodiacs"

Now, I know this may seem weird to start now, since my OVA "The Price Of Justice" isn't finished. The reason is that I promised I would start this on the one year anniversary of Zodiac, so this is my fault. Thankfully, Justice has about 5 chapters left, so that'll be done soon

Everyone enjoy

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

Shuichi, one of strongest and most influential Balances in the whole race couldn't help but feel heartbroken as he looked at the hopeless faces of his comrade Balances

It had all happened in an instance and without warning that even the mighty Balances were at a loss. About a month ago the worlds were peaceful. People were living content lives, war was almost non existent, and Darksides were mostly undrground

But then, he came. The deepest fear in every Balances heart. The fear of a Darkside that could wipe planets out with ease, and make all the darkness in the world his own

Rasets was his name, at least, the name he christened himself when he obtained the power of King status. It was believed his original Darkside name was Hakiashi, a Level 4 Darkside at best, so he was simply a blimp on their radar

No one knows how or when he found it, but Hakiashi found a spell. A spell to absorb the Darksides from all the humans around into his own body. Hekiashi found it, and went to work straight away

It was strange even to the Balances that millions of people across the worlds went missing. The Balances had looked into it, but found little. Now however, it made sense. Hekiashi had captured millions of people, men, women, children, to him it mattered not

Hekiashi used this spell to bring out their Darksides by force, and absorb them into himself. The power of millions of beings went into Hekiashi. He changed, his body became nothing sort of monstrous, and his mind grew more insane than ever

But of course, his mind became much greedier

With the power of over a million Darksides, Hekiashi, now known as Rasets, could use the spell again, only this time on a much larger scale. Before he could absorb a million Darksides in a fairly close space

Now, five whole planets were wiped out in one go

Rasets had control over the one thing gods craved to control, the darkness in people. Rasets could manipulate people how he wanted, and he used this power to control and absorb more and more darkness for nearly 30 days, wiping out planets in hours with his army of loyal Darksides

Rasets had surpassed Satan. Shuichi shuddered at the thought. Sure, some Balances were possibly God level, but none had truly surpassed a God himself!

Millions of Balance soldiers stood waiting fearfully at the bridge between the Balance world, and the last planet attacked by Rasets. The Balances were the only race safe from the spell, and the only ones theoretically able to stop this Darkside army

Millions of Dukes, counts, or normal Darkside were a problem enough, but Rasets, the sick bastard he'd already proven to be, had new types of fiends to deal with

First there were the Tarots, monsters shrouded in mystery. Little was know about them, but of the stories they'd heard, weren't pleasant in the slightest. They were supposedly like generals in Rasets army, so they were not easy prey

The second were Manufactured Darksides. That's right, Darksides that were manufactured, not actually born from a persons darkness. Shuichi couldn't stop but shiver at the idea that Darksides had become so powerful they could create Darksides without a human falling to darkness. What made them even scarier was their animal appearances, which was kept hidden by equally frightening masks

All this added together meant one thing to the Balances, almost certain defeat. No matter how powerful the Balances were, very few believed they could defeat an army of God like creatures, and then fight someone who had surpassed God himself!

Shuichi once heard of a name for this huge conquest. Rasets called this destruction of countless worlds "The Flood"

The flood? As in the flood sent by God that supposedly killed all life, and after was reborn again? At first, Shuichi thought it was coincidental

But then, he learnt of the name of Rasets battleship

"LOOK!!" one Balance screamed in fear, pointing up into the sky. Millions of Balances looked up and froze with fear

Shuichi growled "The Noahs Ark has arrived"

The centre of the sky looked like someone had taken a knife and sliced through it, only the knife had to have been the size of a country. A huge rip in the air opened up gradually, showing a horrific darkness that slowly seeped out into the Balance world

Shuichi, nor any other Darkside could see what was on the other side of that world, but after a few very long minutes of waiting, it could be seen clearly

Lined up smartly in rows were millions of Manufactured Darksides, each one wearing an animal mask. The number of them alone was frightening enough, but the cold hard fact was that these were only one species in Rasets army

On the other end, inside the world/battleship known as Noahs Ark, the line of Darkside spanned miles long, filled with various Darksides, each ready to bring hell to their mortal enemies

At the very end of the Darkside army, sat seemingly asleep on his gothic throne, was the Darkside who surpassed god, King Rasets. Rasets sat with his eye closed, but his body sat up straight on his throne

After a few minutes of stalling, Rasets opened his eye, showing insanity and greed in his eye that made all other darkness look pathetic. He looked on towards the Balance world, and then towards his gathered army of billions of Darksides, and spoke with his mind in a voice that made gods tremble

**_"Crush them"_**

-

Shuichi fell to the ground, but managed to thrust his sword upwards to kill the Duke about to smash him. Shuichi got up and looked around himself

A horrendous battle was an understatement. Around him for many miles were Darksides and Balances, fighting like demons to kill their natural enemies. All around Shuichi Balances and Darksides were dying. Unfortunately for Shuichi though, it seemed like more Balances were dying than Darksides

Shuichi looked to his right, and noticed that the sound of cries of death were louder and more evident. Shuichi gasped as he could see Balances thrown into the air, or at least parts of Balances

Knowing they needed help, Shuichi ran forward, slicing any Darkside that crossed his path. He ran faster and faster, determined to help those Balances

When Shuichi saw the cause of the mass genocide on this part of the battlefield, Shuichi stopped, and nearly dropped his sword

Rasets stood hands crossed behind his back, eye closed as many Balances surrounded him in a circle. However as you can guess, none were brave enough to attack

One Balance, perhaps out of pure sanity loss, screamed and raised his sword at Rasets, charging towards him in a cry of madness

"NO!! STOP YOU FOOL!!" Shuichi screamed him to stop, but it was too late

The crazy Balance didn't make four steps, before his whole body was sliced in two, dead in one shot. It was obviously Rasets, but Rasets hadn't even made a move

While the other Balances were contemplating what had just happened, they too shared a same fate. Nearly a hundred Balances were mutilated in one go by Rasets, who did it without making a move

Shuichi almost dropped to his knees at the sight. Rasets killed a hundred Balances with his mind alone

Rasets looked on towards many Darksides and Balances fighting, raised his left arm, and almost simplistically gathered humongous amounts of energy, aiming it towards the large crowd. Shuichi gasped, he could feel the energy, and there was enough the blow up half the battlefield

Shuichi felt disgust. Rasets was about to sacrifice his loyal Darksides, who treated him as a God

Shuichi, perhaps losing his own insanity, tightened the grip of his sword, and sent an air blade with his sword at Rasets. The air blade hit Rasets on the cheek, cutting it, but in no way moving his reptilian body

Rasets looked down on the cut like you would a fly on your hand, and turned his attention to Shuichi

Shuichi felt like every living creature on the planet was looking at him at that very moment. Despite this, Shuichi did something pretty damn retarded

"Don't even think about it pal! You'll have to get through me first!" Shuichi roared towards the Darkside god

Shuichi hoped Rasets didn't notice his wobbling knees

If Rasets had lips, he'd probably be smirking at them moment. Rasets grabbed his left arm by the shoulder, and with ease ripped it off. Rasets showed no signs of pain from this

The army slowly morphed into a dark Buster Blade, and a new left arm quickly grew back. Rasets held the blade in one hand, and pointed it at Shuichi

"_**Shall we dance?"**_ Rasets mocked. In a split second, Rasets crossed the distance between them, and slammed his buster blade down onto Shuichi, who somehow blocked with his own blade, saving him from inevitably being sliced in half

Shuichi fell to two knees, feeling like the Greek God Atlas, because blocking one of Rasets attacks felt like holding the whole world!

Unfortunately for Shuichi, Rasets had attacked one hand, and Rasets had now stretched his other hand directly in front of Shuichi face, and held his fingers in a flicking motion

Rasets flick his first finger on Shuichi nose. That was the last thing Shuichi remembered, before finding himself on the other end of the battlefield…..

-

Shuichi fell to his knees gasping, despite being knocked out and thrown across the whole battlefield, Rasets decided to play with Shuichi some more. He could've easily killed Shuichi by now, but for some reason he was playing with him

Shuichi felt like the unluckiest man in the world. He didn't want to know what he currently looked like, getting up and holding his sword in his right hand

All he knew for certain was the flesh on his left half of his face had been completely burnt off, and his left arm was gone….

Rasets casually crossed the battlefield like a man would in his garden, breathing in the smell of blood and death. This was a picnic to him

"_**You've lost half your faces flesh and your left arm, and not to mention all those other wounds, and yet you step up and fight? I'm quite impressed Balance. What's your name?"**_ Rasets asked in interest

"My name….is Shuichi….and I fight…because there's no point…delating the inevitable" Shuichi panted, the severe pain taking toll

"We…can't win…..The race of the Balances….dies tonight….so I see no reason…delaying the inevitable!" Shuichi roared, charging forward despite the svere pain

Shuichi thrust his sword towards Rasets chest, but the Darkside casually side stepped the attack and delivered a fist into Shuichi stomach, and then side kicked the Arch level Balance in the chest

Shuichi fell to the ground, certain his ribs were shattered. He looked up and saw the invincible menace Rasets standing above him. He looked like he was about to attack, and Shuichi was more than ready to die there and then

It was the loss of battle cries that Shuichi first noticed. Shuichi opened his eyes, and looked left and right

All of the Balances and Darksides were frozen still, not moving, like statues. The sounds of Balance and Darkside alike dying had gone, and only the eerie silence remained

Shuichi slowly, and painfully stood up, about to investigate, but that proved futile. Standing facing him was Rasets, very much moving

Shuichi couldn't even form words in his mouth from the shock. Rasets never failed to shock

"You can stop time!" Shuichi blurted out. The Darkside king/god nodded stepping towards him

"_**When you surpass God, nothing is impossible. Shuichi, you are a Balance like no other. You stood many minutes of my torture, but still got and fought"**_ Rasets said, seemingly impressed _**"Only you can make this hard decision"**_

"Hard…decision? What are you talking about?!" Shuichi demanded. Raset held his hands up, and motioned his fingers into a clicking stance

"_**One click of my fingers Shuichi, and your race is doomed. You said it yourself, you cannot hope to defeat me"**_ Rasets proclaimed, Shuichi had little doubt he was wrong

"_**But….what if I told you I can delay your destruction?"**_ Rasets said something Shuichi never imagined hearing

"Delay…our destruction? What the hell does that mean?!" Shuichi spat

"_**Simple. Before my army and I opened the gate between this world, and Noahs Ark, I glimpsed into the future"**_ Rasets revealed

Shuchi had a shocked expression, but he shouldn't really be that shocked. The guy did halt time

"_**Do you know what I saw Shuichi? 240 Earths. The same planet over and over, think of the billions on one earth, and times it by 240!! SO MUCH DARKNESS!!" **_Rasets screamed with ecstasy, a scream that shook the ground

Rasets joy seemed to slump, as the Darkside sighed _**"But here's the snag. If the world is destroyed today, this event will never happen, and I cannot obtain that Darkness I so ever crave….that's where you come into play"**_

"W..what?" Shuichi stumbled, and what did he mean by "240 earths"?

"_**You are a powerful Balance, so you should know of the "merge technique", a Balances last resort to kill a Darkside. If you sacrifice yourself, and merge with a Darkside, your light will be like acid to it, and it would kill them both" **_Rasets explained

"And…that wouldn't happen to you?" Shuichi asked, shivering when Rasets glared at him, almost with a smirk

"_**I have set up things perfectly Shuichi. While to onlookers, I will die, that will be nothing but a ruse. I have set up a special prison, almost a separate world in itself. If you merge with me, I will not die, I will go to this prison, my army will be locked up with me, and the Ark will be sealed" **_Rasets explained this unbelievable idea

"Why? Why lock yourself up when you can destroy us all now?! This doesn't make sense!" Shuichi screamed

"_**Because, my dear dear Balance, this world is not ready for total destruction. Rest assured, my prison won't be permanent. I am merely waiting, for the 240 Earths to arrive. Now, the choice is up to you, Shuichi"**_

Rasets, in light speed, appeared next to Shuichi, and pushed him down to the ground, so there positions were similar to how they were before time was halted

**_"Delay everyones destruction….or die now. It is up to you"_** Rasets whispered

Shuichi looked straight into the mad eye of Rasets, and realised so much. Rasets had gone onto the battlefield, scouting for a Balance powerful enough to merge with Raset, and he was the unlucky one.

Time control, seeing into the future, and supposed ability to escape death. Raset had certainly became a god. Shuichi looked at his two ultimatums, let everyone he knew and love die now, or let the worlds live on for hopefully a few centuries

"If….if I do merge with you, there will be people who can stop you! I'm sure of it" Shuichi proclaimed, though he wasn't even sure if he was lying or not

Shuichi could hardly tell, but he felt Rasets might be laughing _**"Only one way to found out"**_ Rasets raised his fingers, and clicked them

The sound of battlecry returned. Balances and Darksides began fighting and killing each other, and Rasets gasped as he saw Rasets swing his sword into the air

"_**Dodge it you fool" **_Raset ordered. Shuichi rolled out of the way, and almost instinctively grabbed Rasets by the head

Rasets made no attempt to resist. Shuichi gathered light energy into his hands, ready to merge the two together

Before the two merged together, and Rasets and Shuichi seemingly died, Shuichi lowered his head, and whispered

"To the protectors of the future world….please forgive me"

-

Rasets looked around himself. He was in a world completely empty, save for a small throne, and the black darkness

Raset knew by now that he, and his billions of loyal Darksides had been sealed. Shuichi was dead, and for now, Rasets was trapped in this void world

But Rasets was no fool, after all he intentionally caused all this. And he left many puzzles for future Darksides to use. The Stone Tablets, holding his three biggest secrets, were just one of them

Rasets made his way to his throne, and sat down. In this world, he could see everything, and could monitor and communicate with all creatures of the earth. If necessary, temporarily bring one here

For now though, Rasets would wait. Wait, for his Legacy to return to this mortal world……

**Well, how's THAT for a first chapter?! Hope you enjoyed!**

**If people don't get it, Rasets intentionally sealed himself, so he could wait for the large amount of darkness grow. I mean let's face it, with all these new enemies we keep getting, more and more darkness is always coming. Stay tuned**


	2. Stage I

Hey everyone. Guess we're off to a good start, so let's keep the ball rolling. Enjoy!

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

We now see a very different scene from the giant and bloody battle between Rasets army and the Balances. We see a small corner shop store in the streets of L.A at Midnight

The shop itself was quiet. About four people in the shop-not counting the cashier-who went about their own business, taking off the shelves whatever they needed quietly and not disturbing the peace inside the shop

That peace however, had to end. The shops front doors suddenly slammed open, and three men ran in, each of their faces covered by a black balaclava, and in their hands were rifles. The first man to enter immediately aimed his rifle at the shopkeeper. Fearfully, all of the shoppers either screamed, raised their hands into the air, or stood absolutely still

"Move out the way or else I'll blow your fucking brains out!" the robber snarled. The owner quickly replied and walked out of the counter, letting the robber in. He immediately went to work on the cash register, while the other two robbers went person to person, taking whatever they thought profitable from the person

One of the robbers walked over to the shops far right corner, only to nearly fall down in surprise. He looked glaringly towards the ground, before walking over to the robber who was also looting shoppers

"Hey Mr. Red, there's something weird over there!" the robber called out to his comrade, using some sort of code name for each other

"What is it Mr. Pink?" Mr. Red asked. Despite the Balaclava, you could see the annoyance on his face

"I thought we agreed, I'm Mr. Purple! Not Mr. Pink!" Mr. Pink growled

"No, you agreed, not us two. Anyway what's up?" Mr. Red asked

"There's this shopper-some kid-lying flat on the ground" Mr. Pink explained

"Well, it's not weird when scared to lie on the ground in fright" Mr. Red replied

"I know but Mr. Red…..the boy's fast asleep!" Mr. Pink exclaimed. Mr. Red looked oddly at his partner, before running over to where Mr. Pink was talking about

As true as he said, there was currently a boy fast asleep on the ground. He had blonde, messy hair that was shoulder length, and wore all black clothes. The boy was as we all should know, was Nukid, Assassin, Author Fighters Top Martial Artist, and Narcolepsy sufferer. He slept silently and peacefully on the ground

"What the hell?" Mr. Red muttered, kneeling down, and nudging Nukid, but the Author stayed fast asleep

Nukid may not have looked it, but he was at the time dreaming. Well, not so much a dream, as it was a long ago memory….

_**6 years ago…..**_

The sun rose early on the little island Fuschia Village, so the islands new Marine recruits had to get up and set out fairly early if they wanted to catch the Ship which shipped the recruits to the nearest Royal Navy base

Around a hundred recruits waited patiently around the harbour of the village, waiting for the order to get on the ship arrived. Most of the recruits were in their young twenties, very few older. They all looked fit, healthy and eager to enrol

But in the midst of these young adults, stood a strange sight. Wearing the traditional Navy recruit outfit was a 10 year old child with messy blonde hair, a rifle slung across his shoulder with his backpack, and despite his age, he had a mature, yet nervous face. The child was obviously Nukid, leaving his hometown of Fuschia

From the Navy Battleship docked at the Harbour, a Marine, seemingly ranked Captain, stepped towards the end of the ship to Harbour bridge, and looked down towards the Recruits

"All right Recruits! Get your asses on this ship in five minutes, or else we're leaving your cowardly ass behind!" the captain barked down, before making a sharp 180 degree turn, and walking away

Almost at once, the recruits walked up to the connecting bridge, and waited in line as the recruits got on, one by one. The young Nukid waited right at the back, gulping nervously

"Oy Matt!" a loud voice called out to Nukid, calling to him by his Christian name. Nukid turned around, to see his life long friend, Monkey D. Luffy, standing behind him with a wide grin. Luffy was also 10, but the only major difference was his size. He still wore baggy shirt and clothes, and proudly wore his straw hat

"Luffy? What're you doing here? Didn't think you'd be awake at this hour" Nukid slightly mocked, but was still surprised to see Luffy

"I wasn't gonna let my best friend leave without saying goodbye. So, you really gonna do this?" Luffy asked, though it sounded rhetorical

"Would you forgive me if I chickened out?" Nukid asked. Luffy pondered this for a minute, before grinning even wider

"Only if you joined my crew instead!" Luffy laughed. Nukid simply sighed

"You still going on about that? You know it wouldn't be a good image for people to see a Vice Admirals Grandson talk like that" Nukid warned Luffy, who didn't seem concerned in the slightest

"Heh, I ain't worried! Not ever since I met Shanks!" Luffy proclaimed, taking off his straw hat, and looking dreamily into it

"Ever since I met that guy….and seen the sacrifice he made to protect me I've realised what I exactly want to do in life! I'm gonna go out to see and become a Pirate. I'll find a Nakama, and we'll find the legendary treasure One Piece!" Luffy explained with growing excitement

Nukid arched his eyebrows "wow, you've got big plans"

"Sure have! What about you Matt? What are your dreams?" Luffy asked curiously. Nukid went silent for a moment, looking back towards the Navy ship

"Luffy, I've lived with you, Ace and Grandpa Garp ever since my parents were killed by Pirates. I don't hate you for choosing that live, nor do I think all Pirates are bad. But I can't live a life on that side" Nukid stated, turning back to Luffy

"I don't want people to suffer the loss like I did. I want there to be a world where criminals like that are found and killed. I want to make the world better, and this is the only way I know how" Nukid proclaimed. Luffy stayed silent, walking up to Nukes

"Well, I'll forgive you for not joining my crew, in one condition" Luffy said "If you say you want to make the world a better place, then you stick by that pledge no matter what! Make it your lives purpose to fulfil that dream! Can you do it Matt?!" Luffy asked, raising his left arm for him to shake

Nukid was a little caught off at first, but in a quick sec, that changed to a wide smile, and Nukes threw his right arm up, and shook Luffy arm

"Don't think otherwise Luffy! I'll stick by my oath no matter what!" Nukid proclaimed. The smiled on Luffy grew even more, the boy laughing a little in happiness

"All right! Then we both make a promise! I promise that I'll find my Nakama, and together we'll find the ultimate treasure One Piece!" Luffy proclaimed determinedly

"Right! And I promise that I'll join the Navy, and do my best to make the world a better place!"

-

Nukid eyes jolted open, the long ago memory stopping there. At first, Nukid was caught up with the thoughts of that memory. The thought of his old friend Luffy, of the friends and family he had left behind, and of the promise he had made….

Nukid suddenly remembered where he was, and quickly looked at his watch. When he saw the time however, his whole face nearly went pale

"Oh shit….I'M LATE!!" Nukid cried out. He quickly got up-ignoring the two robbers completely- and rapidly grabbed and threw in random tins into his shopping basket

Mr. Red & Pink weren't sure what to make of it at first. The boy had been sound asleep, before suddenly waking up and ignoring them! It was Mr. Red who acted first

"Oy, what the hell you doing boy?! This is a bloody robbery!" Mr. Red spat, raising his rifle

"Yea yea look I'm sorta busy! I promised DM I'd get the shopping done an half an hour ago. Must've taking a nap, why'd no one wake me up?" Nukid pondered, before returning to picking out random tins to buy

"H…hey! Are you retarded or something?! What do you think this is?!" Mr. Red snarled. Nukid stopped, and turned to the robber

"Sorry, but you said this was a robbery right? So you're the robbers?" Nukid asked

"That's right! And unless you empty your wallet now we'll fill you full of-"

Before Mr. Red finished, Nukid slammed the robber in the chest with a small push with his left palm. The robber went flying through several stalls, before landing hard into the wall, and slumping to the ground

"If you guys are robbers, then this could be a perfect excuse to give DM! I owe you guys" Nukid laughed, before turning to Mr. Pink

"Ah..aah…AAHH!!" Mr. Pink screamed, swinging his rifle at Nukids head. Nukid didn't bother to dodge, and simply allowed the rifle to hit his head

Rather than Nukids skull crack and bleed, the rifle instantly smashed to bits upon impact, like it had just hit solid steel. Mr. Pink gazed at his broken rifle, and then looked at Nukid

"Done?" Nukid asked, before tapping the robber on the forehead. In a few silent seconds, Mr. Pink collapsed to the ground, unconscious

"Nice, one more" Nukid nodded, turning to the Robber at the counter. The un-nick named robber had already readied and aimed his rifle at Nukid

"Bastard!" the robber roared, firing dozens of shots straight at Nukid, but to the robbers horror, Nukid caught each one casually between his fingers

"Soru" Nukid muttered, and in less than a second, Nukid had crossed the distance between him and the counter

The robber swung his fist, but Nukid pushed it aside, and grabbed the robber by the collar, and lifted him into the air

Nukid looked up at the robber, and smiled deviously "you know, ever since I saw the Cowboy Bebop Movie, I've always wanted to try something"

-

Two Police cars were parked outside the raided shop, but all they were there for was to arrest and take in the three robbers. They almost had to call the Ambulance Service, since all three robbers were suffering to some form of injury

Nukid watched from outside as the three robbers were arrested and brought into custody, while standing beside him was proud and strong Author Fighter leader, The Digimon Halfa DarkMagicianmon. It was currently night time, and Dark looked fairly tired at the moment

Dark looked at the crooks, before turning to see his comrade "you know, I ask for the shopping, not arrest petty crooks"

Nukid shrugged "neither did I, but justice calls right? I had no choice"

"Still, you seemed to have enjoyed yourself fighting them. I sometimes fear you have sadistic thoughts hidden away inside you" Dark noted suspiciously

"Only when I watch Everyone Loves Raymond-god what a crap show-but what makes you think I was sadistic today?" Nukid asked. Dark eyed him sarcastically

"Nukes, you shoved one of the robbers head into the coffee machine, and then poured hot coffee onto his face!" Dark exclaimed

"Always wanted to try it! Still, it was decent of you to come out at this time of hour" Nukid thanked

"Well you did call me. Don't know why, I thought you actually needed my help for something besides fill in Police documents" Dark yawned, noticing the confused expression on Dark face

"I….didn't call you Dark. I don't even have my Mobile Phone on me" Nukid said with confusion

"What?! But I remember hearing your voice on the other end, asking me to come and help!" Dark replied with equal confusion. He was certain he'd heard Nukids voice on the other side of the line

Nukid shrugged "Nope, I called no one. You must be more tired than you think, maybe you should just go home"

Dark sighed "No, you were the one that dealt with this Nukes. You go and get some rest. However, I've got one job for you tomorrow" Dark stated

"What?"

"As you may or may not remember, it's been a year since we fought the Zodiacs. A year since we fought our hardest battle yet, and a year since we….well lost" Dark mumbled, always hating to say the last part

"Aye, it was a dark day in Author Fighter history. On the other hand, it did turn our Gary Stu like group which never lost a single fight into a more believable one. I suppose there's a good side to everything" Nukid noted. Dark just slapped his face

"Well I don't feel like going through that again. Listen, I want you to debrief a few of the newer authors on the event tomorrow so they know what we're up against if the Manufactured Darkside show up again. Got it?" Dark asked, earning a salute from Nukid

"Got it chief, thanks for doing the forms for me. See ya!" Nukids said before using Soru to leave the area completely

DM sighed and scratched his tired eyes, watching as the Police cars finally drove off and left the place. DM knew he had to head to the Police station himself, and forgetting to ask for a ride, walked tiredly forward

It was nearly midnight by now and the night sky was well up. The streets were deadly quiet, but as Dark walked down the dark and silent street, he couldn't help but feel he was being watched. He looked left and right, eying every last part of the street cautiously, but he saw nothing, however the feeling of being watched didn't go away

After a few minutes of walking down the dark street. Dark began to hear footsteps behind him. He thought they may be far behind him, but the footsteps grew louder and louder, and eventually got so loud Dark span around and looked at the cause, only to see Nukid standing behind him

"Nukid?! What are you doing? I thought I told you to go home and get some rest" Dark breathed a sigh of relief, knowing it was a friend all along

"I felt a little guilty you having to deal with all this boss, so I decided to come with you and help fill in those forms" Nukid explained in all seriousness

"Oh…well sure Nukes. Feel free to help" Dark nodded, and the two walked side by side down the street

"Hey man, I have something to ask" Dark said to Nukid

"What's that boss?"

Darks hands suddenly began flashing red "Who the hell are you really?"

Nukid jolted back at this "W…what?"

"FIRE!!" Dark roared, blasting a ball of fire straight into Nukids stomach. Nukid managed to block with his arms, but the sheer power caused him to roll back

"No more lies. I know you're not Nukid" Dark stated

"What?! Have you suddenly gone retarded or something?!" the supposed fake Nukid barked. Dark nodded, seemingly impressed

"You did a good job imitating Nukes personality imposter, but you made one critical flaw" Dark stated "Nukes is far too lazy to ever help me fill out forms!"

At this the fake Nukid sighed, and smiled evilly, his body changing shape. He changed his shape into a Darkside wearing a multicoloured cloak, and a Chameleon mask on his face"

"Congrats, you're the first to see through my disguise. My name is Kamereon, loyal soldier of the Almighty God, Drake Ebon Darkstar" Kamereon greeted

Dark growled "great, so you Manufactured Darksides are back with you calling that bastard Drake a god"

"Not quite magician" someone suddenly called out from Darks left. Dark turned, and saw a boy, Nukids age, wearing a suit and tie, and with blood red hair down to his neck

"Who the hell are you?" Dark demanded. The boy looked at Dark with a sadistic grin

"It seems you know Matt-or Nukes as you're calling him- pretty well. It seems even filthy traitors can find friendship and acceptance" the red haired boy spat with disgust

"What are you talking about? Are you one of Drakes new lackeys?!" Dark demanded

"No, I represent a force far nobler, who have temporarily sided with Darkstar to take out a great evil. I am one member of a revamped team" the boy said, clicking his fingers like a signal

Slowly, teenage figures, all dressed in black suit and tie, surrounded the area around Dark. Every second more and more came, until around a hundred of these black suited teenager were around Dark, covering every possible escape route

"Just who the heck are you guys?!" Dark snarled. The red haired boy sniggered, taking from his belt, a small combat knife, and holding it by the handle sideways

"My name is Jack, and I represent the newly revamped CP9. Our first mission, eliminate the new World Government enemies, The Author Fighters, who have helped and looked after a world renown traitor and murderer. And our mission above all else…" Jack growled, his voice growing bitter, like some old memory was fuelling his speech

"….kill the World Government traitor, Nukid"

**Well, there's chapter 2. Sorry only me and Dark showed up, but next chap, expect many to show up**

**I got the whole "Mr. Pink" thing from "Reservoir Dogs", and yes, I really don't like "Everybody Loves Raymond". I watched and episode, and didn't think much of it, but please don't make the whole review about that! That's just annoying**

**Stay tuned**


	3. A Small Cog In A Big Plan

Hey everyone. Here's chapter 3. Sorry for the wait but i was on holiday. Enjoy

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

Nukid stood at the front end of the briefing room table, looking towards the fellow members of the Author Fighters who were seated around the large table

The Authors Nukid was with was the Freelancer Agent Liberi, the Werewolf MistressofDawn, the mercenary DW64, the young Kitten Hachi Chan, the mysterious Snake Screamer, the keyblade use Phoenix of the Darkness, and the Exalted Hurricanes Quill

All of these authors had one thing I common. None of them were present, or had yet joined the Author Fighters, when the group were pitted against the Zodiacs. It was Nukids job today to go over the whole ordeal

Currently, the seven authors were chatting amongst themselves, seemingly not noticed Nukid standing at the front, waiting to speak. Nukid politely said "all right everyone, listen up!"

To Nukids annoyance, the seven authors either didn't hear him or simply ignored him, because none of them stopped. Nukid eyebrows twitched, before the former assassin breathed in

"Oh I'm sorry, I made a mistake. Where I come from "listen up" means SHUT THE HELL UP!!" Nukid shouted, earning the attention of all seven authors

"Thank you" Nukid nodded "now, head honcho DarkMagicianmon has told me to tell you all of the Zodiac incident which took place one year ago"

"Zodiac incident? What the heck was that?" Mistress asked

"It's was one of Drakes schemes to destroy the Author Fighters" Nukid stated

"Then what's so important about it? Drake tries one of those every week" Phoenix asked, not sure of the point of this meeting

"It's the only time where he won"

At that sentence, every author had a different reaction. Mistress, Phoenix and HQ faces widened in surprise, Screamer and DW64 narrowed their eyes, seemingly confused, while Kitten let out a small gasp

Liberi seemed least shocked, but was still surprised; raising an eyebrow "you lost? How'd that happen?"

"Well, I'll explain" Nukid said "one year ago, the Author Fighters were leaked information a stone tablet, containing old secrets on Darksides was in danger of being stolen from the museum it was being held at. In fear it was Drake, Dark had the team put on guard around the museum"

"Well, was it Drake?" Kitten asked eagerly

"Nah, it was me"

DW64 nodded "oh right, well please conti…wait what?! You stole it from the AF?!"

"Aye, I needed it to help find my friend Sofia, so I stole it under their noses. Good times" Nukid sighed, reminiscing like it was a great experience

"So, you started out as an enemy to the Author Fighters?" Screamer asked

"I wouldn't say enemy…just someone who happened to have interests that conflicted with the Author Fighters interests" Nukid stated

"That's usually what an enemy is classed as Nukes" Mistress pointed out mockingly

"Bloody details! Anyway, while the Authors went looking for me, Drakes new cronies, the Zodiacs appeared openly for the first time" Nukid stated

"So there was a group called the Zodiacs. Who were they?" DW64 asked

"They were Darksides unlike any other. They were created through some sort of spell written on a Stone Tablet similar to the one I had stolen. They were Manufactured Darksides" Nukid revealed

"Manufactured…. Darksides?! What kind of Darkside is that?!" Kitten demanded

"It is what the name suggest, Darkside that were not born, but created through a Darksides blood. Because of this, whoever created the Manufactured Darksides would have their unquestionable loyalty" Nukid said

"Unquestionable loyalty huh? I suppose they followed Drake like blind sheep" Liberi murmured

"To the point they considered Drake a god. They never went against Drake, for they believed he was a god"

Mistress shuddered "a monster like him as a god? That's just wrong"

"Is it though?" HQ spoke up earning everyone's attention "well, a god is someone who supposedly can make life without reproduction and such. By that logic, it's sorta understandable they saw Drake as a god"

"Quill brings up a good point, and it meant a lot of shit for us authors. After joining the Authors in their fight, together we faced our hardest fight to date" Nukid explained

"Hardest? In what way?" Phoenix asked

"Well, instead of us fighting as a group, Drake forced us to separate by attacking loved ones. Friends, family, lovers, you name it. Drake mercilessly sent them to attack cherished ones so we would be forced to separate" Nukid said grimly

"Attacking loved ones?! That's low, even for Drake!" Kitten snarled, angry at the mere thought

"Aye, and through it we learnt our greatest weakness. As strong as we are individually, our strength relies on us working as a team. We can usually take out anyone when we have our friends by our sides, but alone, we were all nearly killed" Nukid explained, deciding to take a seat himself, and allowed his head to rest back

After a moment of silence from the Authors, it was Phoenix to break it, smiling towards Nukid "but you all survived in the end. That's obvious"

Nukid nodded lazily "barely mind you, but we did. Each author who fought showed true strength, and together we took out the Zodiacs"

"Sounds like another victory for us! Why did you say we had lost the fight?" DW64 asked questionably. At that question, Nukid let out a small, irritable growl

"Because that bastard Drake had an ace up his sleeve. Four Manufactured Darksides, created from Rasets own blood, appeared and demolished us. They are called the Dark Yonkou, which I think translates to "Four Dark Kings"" Nukid explained

"Rasets blood…. Jesus…anything to do with that god like monster gives me the creeps" Phoenix shivered

"So it should. We did manage to take out one Yonkou, but it took X Prodigy, and all of Team Faust to take him out solely" Nukid said very bluntly

"All of Team Faust?! Even with guys like Tobi, Ichigo and Shadow in the team?! What kind of monster are we dealing with?!" Kitten gasped. Hurricane Quill sighed

"I guess, with all the authors injured and separated, it wasn't hard for the other three Yonkou to defeat the Authors" Quill asked rhetorically

"Afraid so. Drake went to Dark personally, and gave him an ultimatum. Either tell him the location of the 2nd stone tablet, or The Dark Yonkou would kill his whole team. In the end, Dark had no choice but to comply"

Liberi huffed "weakling. He should've been prepared to sacrifice his team"

"Yes, well unfortunately not all the Author Fighter members are psychopaths…..half of us maybe" Nukid sighed. The ex assassin got out of his chair and faced the group seriously

"It's been one whole year since this incident occurred, and since then we haven't seen or heard anything about the Dark Yonkou or anything M.D. related" Nukid stated

"Isn't that more of a good thing Nukes?" Mistress asked questionably

"I see. It doesn't make sense" Phoenix spoke up "Drake gained the advantage, why didn't he capitalise on it?!"

"We can only speculate, but if there's any reason, I think he's just waiting" Nukid commented "the Stone Tablets hold the key to Rasets power, and this is the closest Drake has gotten to becoming Darkside king. My guess he's waiting for the right moment to strike" Nukid explained, leaning in closer to emphasis the importance of his next sentence

"Listen, if there is anything to take away from this, that is these two things. One, we must be more than ready for Drake if he starts looking for the 3rd Stone Tablet, because if he gets that, you might as well crown him king of all Darksides" Nukid explained threateningly

"And I suppose the second thing is to do with the Dark Yonkou right?" Liberi asked. Nukid nodded

"Yea, now I've never seen what the Dark Yonkou look like-you'll have to ask Dark or someone-but I do know just how insanely powerful they are. If you have 10 or more Authors or strong allies backing you up, then by all means try to kill one of them. But…" Nukid said, worry and fear evident in his usually lazy tone

"…if you come across a Yonkou, and you're all by yourself, for the love of god, just run"

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

_**Last night….**_

DarkMagicianmon used his magic to levitate three CP9 agents backwards into a brick wall. Dark had been fighting non-stop for 20 minutes, fighting off waves of teenager CP9 agents single handily

All of the agents used the same techniques, the Rokushikis, which Nukid was famous for using, but to Darks relief, none of these attacking agents were nearly on par with Nukids level. He wasn't even sure some of them had completely mastered the martial art fully

Their quality wasn't the problem though. Despite the fair easiness of taking some out, there were literally hundreds upon hundreds of these agents, coming in wave after wave, slowly weakening the Digimon

By the twentieth wave of attack, Dark was near exhausted. He leaned on his staff, gasping deeply for air. He wasn't sure he could take another attack

To his deep gratitude though, it seemed over. At that moment not a single CP9 agent was present in the dark streets, so to Darks relief it seemed over

Dark had little chance to rest however, before the quick swipe of a combat knife narrowly missed his head. Dark rolled back in time, and hastily got into a fighting stance

He saw the attacker was the CP9 agent from before named Jack standing in front of him, wielding his combat knife in a sideways position. Standing next to him, stood the Chameleon Darkside Kamereon

"Wow, rare do I miss cutting someone to bits. The excitement of the battle's dulling my movements" Jack stated, a sick smile on his face

"You know, I've always thought Nukid had issues, but you make him look tame" Dark deadpanned, to which Jack laughed

"Maybe, but in a job like mine you need to lose some sanity, or else you'll turn out a fucking traitor like Nukid" Jack snarled bitterly

"Nukid saw the evil in your governments way. He lost the woman he loved because of you monsters!" Dark stated

"That fucking bitch disobeyed an order! She was too weak! She…..deserved it" Jack mumbled at the end. Dark couldn't help but notice the sad face he showed, when talking of Maria

Kamereon nudged Jack "hey, stop wasting time and knock this Author out"

"Yea yea" Jack grumbled, tightly gripping the knife "Nukid ruined his life by becoming a world government enemy, and you Author Fuckers are gonna pay for keeping him safe"

"So be it! Bring your army, because my team won't back down to anyone! We'll look out and fight for each other!" Dark proclaimed, lifting his staff in a seemingly second wind

Like a mad dog let out its cage, Jack charged wildly at DarkMagicianmon….

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

After debriefing some of the authors, Nukid went to his room and had his third nap for the day. He slept on his bed peacefully, but his mind was actually recurring an event, long ago

_**6 Years ago….**_

A bomb exploded a few feet away from Nukid, who cradled inside his small trench to save himself from the impact. Nukid opened out and on top of the trench, trying to see through the fog and gas surrounding him, while at the same time trying to hear through the sounds of gunfire, explosions and screams of agony

We see the 10 year old Nukid again, only this time in far worse condition. Nukid ran from his last hope of safety and ran-rifle in hand-into the centre of the battlefield. Currently the Marines were fighting on the shores of a island on the outskirts of the Grand Line. The Island had openly disobeyed World Government demands, and now the Marines were told to liberate the island

Mission was simple, kill anything that didn't wear Marine clothes, but this was not what Nukid signed up for. When Nukid signed up, he wanted to go off and help unfortunate islands and towns and help protect them from Pirates and villains, not mindlessly kill anyone in sight! What if there were innocent people trapped in the midst!

Nukid did his best to put this out of his mind, and concentrated on one thing, staying alive. While running, he raised up his rifle, and aimed straight forward at two young looking men, neither wearing Marine clothes

Nukid fired three shots at the first man, which two shots missed, but the last connected with his chest, and the man fell to the ground. The second enemy was momentarily shocked by the other death, but in the adrenaline, he quickly turned to Nukid and shortened the space between them, until he was right in front of Nukes

The man raised his sword and swung down onto Nukid, who quickly grabbed both ends of his rifle, and used it to block the incoming sword. As Nukid tried to wrestle the mans blade back, the muddy sand underneath caused Nukid to slip, and Nukid fell to the ground, still trying to fight back the growling enemy

Nukid got the feeling the man Nukid had just killed was close to the guy. Friend, brother, lover, who knows? Point is, this man was trying to rip Nukes to shreds, regardless of the fact he was but a mere boy

Nukid struggled to keep him back. The man pushed down harder and harder, and Nukid saw the crack in his rifle was getting deeper and deeper. Either the gun would break, or he would. He couldn't keep this man down

_"All right! Then we both make a promise! I promise that I'll find my Nakama, and together we'll find the ultimate treasure One Piece!" Luffy proclaimed determinedly _

_"Right! And I promise that I'll join the Navy, and do my best to make the world a better place!"_

Nukid couldn't die, not yet

With a great swing to the left, Nukid sent the end of his rifle into the enemies skull. The man fell to Nukes right, dazed but not dead. Not one to take chances, Nukes stood up, and swung the rifle onto his skull again, and again, and again, till the man laid lifeless on the ground

Nukes wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked across the battlefield. A few minutes into this battle, and Nukid had already killed two men, and nearly died himself

To stay alive, Nukid would have to go on like this for many hours. He was certainly earning his pay cheque

--

This may sound sick, but the eerie silence that came after a battlefield was like music from Heaven to Nukid

After hours of gruelling and non relenting fighting, the battle was over. While they lost many, the Marines had won and hundreds of Marines were still living, albeit dazed. Nukid couldn't see a single enemy soldier alive

Nukid was sprawled on the floor underneath the bodies of long dead enemies. Nukid figured he may have hit his head hard and got knocked out, for the last thing he remembered was stabbing the man currently on top of him, and both of them falling down a small dirt hole. Nukid still had grasp on the knife that had took this mans life

Nukid fidgeted out from under the enemy, and clumsily tried to climb out the pit hole. Fatigue and injuries made this a difficult task, and Nukid couldn't stop himself from tripping backwards and falling back down

Before he hit the ground however, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Nukid, stopping him from falling. Nukid looked towards the person, and was shocked to see a boy his age, with blood red hair at neck length

"Hold on, I'll pull you out" the boy said with strain in his voice. He too looked exhausted, but he wasn't letting that stop him from helping me

Perhaps it was his inspiration, or something else, but Nukid felt energy come back to him, and he used what he had to pull himself out. Together, Nukid got out the hole, and fell onto his knees, panting heavily. He looked to the red haired boy, doing the same thing

"Thanks…..I…owe you….one…" Nukid said between gasps for air. The boy looked at Nukes, smiling

"No problem…..glad to help a fellow marine…" the boy said in far less heavy pant. He got up to his feet, and grabbed Nukes by the arm, helping him up too

"You know, I thought I was the only Marine here who had yet to pass puberty. It's heartening to know there are other kids like me doing this kind of thing" the boy said, almost like he was saying thanks to Nukes

"Well, it's better than just sitting home playing soldier. I wanted to do something worthwhile, and since I easily passed the recruitment tests, they let me in" Nukid explained. He then quickly raised his hand for a handshake "by the way, my name's Matt"

The boy gladly accepted the hand, and shook it happily "great to meet you. I'm Jack"

--

Nukid jumped up from his bed. For a minute he was dazed about where he was, once again he had experienced a flashback to an old memory. After a few seconds, Nukid remembered, he was in his bedroom at Author Fighter HQ, and it was still early afternoon

Nukid breathed in deep, trying to calm himself. Yet again, he saw a memory better left forgotten. The memory itself was not horrible. Nukid had no fear of battles, his superhuman strength could protect him from hundreds alone, and him meeting a friend on the midst of that battle was a great feeling

It was what happened after that memory, which made it all feel bitter

Nukid slumped back down onto his bed, not sleeping, but far too lazy to move. Someone knocked on his door, and it hesitantly opened. Hikari Ino, Balance and girlfriend of DarkMagicianmon walked in. Nukid instantly saw the worry on her face, but the balance did her best to hide it

"Nukid san" Hikari said formally "I was wondering, have you seen Sempai today? He didn't come back last night"

"I did leave the dude with a lot of shit, so it could've taken a while to sort out. Police do love their paperwork" Nukid grunted back

"Yea but, he's been gone for half a day! Do you think he may have gone somewhere else after?" Hikari asked

Nukid shrugged "I don't know, I'm not his Digi Tamer"

Knowing he was being harsh, Nukid sighed and stood up "Sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean, but I honestly have no idea. But Hikari, don't worry yourself. He's is our leader, so I doubt he'll be taken out easily! If you want, I'll go look for him"

Hikari silently pondered for a second, before shaking her head with a warm smile "no that's okay. Thanks Nukid san. By the way, a few of the guys wanted to talk to you in the lab. Something about that Zodiac mask you have"

"Oh….right. Thanks Hikari" Nukid said nervously. When Hikari left, Nukid did not leave for the lab. He remembered the mask, and the promise he'd made to Yamazaru, about avenging him and his siblings, against the false prophet they believed in

With nothing else left to do, Nukid walked out of his room and headed for the lab

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

_**Last night….**_

Jack used Soru to appear behind DarkMagicianmon. Before the Halfa sensed him, Jack swung his Combat Knife at Darks shoulder blades, but Dark quickly turned and blocked with his staff

"You're bloody persistent….I like that" Jack growled, pushing hard with the knife

"Then you'll love this! LIGHTNING!" Dark shouted. From the sky, a bolt of lightning hit straight down towards Jack, who narrowly dodged the bolt, and landed a few feet from the Author

"The more spells you use, the more energy you've lost. We CP9 are trained to fight endless hours of battle. A magician like you won't last" Jack said mockingly

"You obviously haven't seen the things I've faced. Compared to them, you're just an annoying fly" Dark retorted, which to his satisfaction, seemed to piss Jack

"Who the fuck…DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!!" Jack shouted madly. Charging head on forward like a wild dog

_**"Enough!"**_ the voice of a demonic creature radiated through the air. In an instant, Dark, Jack and Kamereon-who was still on looking- froze. The icy and monstrous voice gave them all deep chills and nervousness

"Who the hell was that?" Jack asked out loud, looking left to right, but saw no one

_**"I've waited long enough, this is taking far too long. Your work here is done Jack"**_ the voice grunted, showing annoyance and impatience. Uppon hearing this, Dark eyes widened in horror

Despite the monstrous tone, he knew that voice

"Y-You" Dark whispered. He spun around to where he heard the voice, but it was too late

The black red Griffin that engulfed Dark, throwing him into a brick wall. The Griffin was in fact the end of a long; dark red figured whose body extended like a blood red shadow

After a few slow, scary moments, the shadow like Griffin retreated, and the blood red shadow reformed into the appearance of-or something similar-a human. The same figured walked up to Dark, who laid on the ground, crumpled

"H-hey! Hey! What the hell are you doing?! That was my opponent asshole!" Jack snarled, angry for the mans interference

"You successfully wore him down, I merely sealed the deal" the monstrous like man said. His voice-like his appearance-had became more human like, and was now the figure of a young, black haired man with blood red eyes, sharp teeth and held a shotgun in one hand, a crowbar in the other

"You son of a-" Jack said, about to attack the intruder, but Kamereon stepped in and stopped him

"Don't you fool! Do you not know who this vampire is?! That is Corruption! He is a disciple of the Darkside King Rasets! Attacking him is like going against the god himself!" Kamereon warned

"Corruption..." Jack repeated, the name beaing simularity to a story i heard "hey, i've heard of you! You're that Author who betrayed the team a few months ago!"

"That i am. Now, do not feel too upset about me finishing him off Jack" Corruption said "what happened today is one small cog in a much bigger plan. What I did was simply turned the cogs and got them moving"

The Vampire disciple turned his head to the defeated Dark. Before he fell unconscious, Dark whispered one thing, sadness evident in his weak voice

"Why?….you were…our friend…"

Corruption, formaly known as The Shadow Syndicate smiled a grin not unlike Alucard, and looked pitifully down at Dark

"Nothing personal Boss"

**Biggest chapter so far. To those who don't yet know, TSS has decided to turn his insert evil, so I wanted to make his appearance badass. Hope it was good! Stay tuned!**

**If you want to know more about this awesome plot twist, stay tuned for TSS fic, _Author Fighters: Corruption _(Obviously, this is based after it)**


	4. A series of Connected Events

Hey everyone, here's chapter 4. I was pretty happy about the reactions to last chapter. I was worried I'd screw up on it. Also sorry it took so long. I alwas have a slight writers block after holidays (last chapter done while on holiday). Anyway enjoy

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

At the very bottom of the Author Fighter HQ was the buildings basement, but it had later become the teams' laboratory as well. Several cages housing various species were surpassed in number only by the amount of test tubes and beakers holding liquids you wouldn't dare drink

At the far end stood the main computer, which was literally the size of the wall itself. Standing besides the computer was Nukid, while sitting on the main seat was Reptilian Fictor brother Dimensiondude, who was typing on the keypad quickly

"Found anything Dino?" Nukid asked, looking directly at the screen. On the screen currently was an image of a mask with the appearance of a demented and mythological like monkey. This was in fact one of the Zodiac masks, held by the Monkey Darkside Yamazaru

Yamazaru was long dead now, killed by Nukids Darkside Oldkid. To the normal eye, this may seem now just your average ancient mask. But Nukid, as did many of the Author Fighters know, it was far more. Nukid saw with his own eyes Yamazaru pour his remaining energy into it and give it to Nukid

D-Dude looked from the computer and sighed, "I analysed the mask thoroughly over and over. There's no doubt the mask has some kind of spiritual energy inside it, however what it does I can't say. What did Yama say before he died?"

"'The body and flesh of the Zodiacs is dead, but not the spirit' Maybe it holds their souls inside" Nukid suggested

"I don't see how, only Yamazaru was present at the time" D-Dude said, before shaking his head "honestly, you ain't given me much to work with. All I can tell you is there's a lot of energy inside this thing"

"Right. Perhaps it just amplifies all my abilities" Nukid said. D-Dude nodded, picking up the mask with his claws

"Maybe. I could possibly find out more if you let me break it apart, only a little" D-Dude stated

"No" Nukid said before quickly swiping it out of his hands and holding it protectively "Yama gave me this because he chose me to exact revenge on Drake and Oldkid. I won't break a promise, so I need this mask in one piece"

"Yea, you are like that Nukes. You don't back down from anything. I hope the mask does help you"

"So do I. Thanks for looking into it D-Dude" Nukid said with a no, before turning and walking for the exit

"No prob Nukes. Maybe you should ask X Prodigy about it. He is our resident mask wearer, he might have some idea what it could hold" D-Dude suggested

"No luck there. X Prodigy left early this morning with Yourichi. Didn't tell anyone where he was going" Nukid said. He put his hand to chin, going into a deep, silent thought, like he was thinking something over and over in his head

Nukid snapped out of his thought "Huh, didn't think Yourichi was X Prodigy's type"

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

Deep in the hot Deserts of Texas, where no human would dare attempt to live in, two figures stood at the very top of a rocky mountain

The first was a brown skinned woman with purple hair and wearing a bright orange top. This was Yourichi, former captain of the 2nd Division in Soul Society, and a lot older than her looks would make out

Yourichi was looking towards the second figure, which was a teenage boy with a Hollow mask covering his face, and a huge sword strapped to is back. This was X Prodigy, one of the strongest Authors in the AF

"All right X. One more time" Yourichi said, asking the repeat something

"Okay" X nodded. At that X Prodigy put his entire attention straight forward, or more accurately, a small mountain up ahead

X Prodigy moved his leg into a fight pose, and lifted his right arm, aimed straight for the mountain. After a few uneventful seconds, a dark like energy engulfed that same hand. It pulsated around X Prodigy, ending into a round ball in his hand

"CERO!" X roared, and at command, the dark energy blasted forward at quick speeds. The mountain he had aimed for was miles away, but the Cero connected and blew apart the mountain in all but a quick second

X and Yourichi watched as the whole mountain collapsed. What was once a high and proud mountain was nothing but a heap of rubble and rock now. Yourichi looked at X, her face very serious and concerned

"X…. how long have you been able to use Cero?" Yourichi asked. X lowered his once charged hand, staring at it like he was shocked by his own power

"A few days ago. I just woke up once and felt like I could. That may sound like a pathetic excuse, but that's genuinely how it felt. It was like…like…" X stumbled, trying to think of the best way to explain it

"Like an old memory popping up after years of not remembering it?" Yourichi suggested

X nodded "that is a good way to explain it Yourichi"

X felt uncomfortable when he saw Yourichi sigh and close her eyes solemnly. Like something she wished wouldn't happen was about to "if I was to hazard a guess, this could mean only one thing"

"What is it? Please tell me," X said urgently. Yourichi opened her eyes and looked at him

"X Prodigy, it has never been a secret you are part Hollow. You wear proof of that on your face every day. However, for as long as you've been an Author Fighter-and as long as I've known you- you've only ever shown that Devil side of you, the power of Sparta" Yourichi stated

"Y…yea, you've got a good point. For as long as I remember, I've only really used Devil attacks…. Devil Arms…. Devil Trigger...it's all gifts from Sparda" X said. He held up his hands and looked down upon them, like he was looking at them for the first time in his life

"But, if I'm able to use moves like Cero, what does that mean?" X asked

"It could mean X…. that your Hollow side is starting to take over" Yourichi said. Despite it being a reasonable explanation, X couldn't help but freeze at the statement in shock

"My…Hollow side…is trying to take over…" X repeated in a faint whisper. Such a statement had not solved any of his questions. In fact it had merely opened up more!

"I can't be certain of this X, but let me explain. When Ichigo first went up against the Arrancar, Ichigo began to develop Hollow powers too. However that Hollow side also tried to take over him as well, and turn him into a monster solely intent on killing everything. Tell me, have lately felt any desires to kill?" Yourichi asked

"Besides the usual, none" X shrugged

"Well then, if you once a Hollow, it's possible you may have been an Arrancar at one point, since they all weren't murderous or insane, but at this point we can only speculate" Yourichi said, before letting out a big sigh

"Honestly, this would be so much easier to solve if you didn't have amnesia" Yourichi growled

"You think I enjoy not remembering my past? I want to know too!" X protested "especially now…if it holds the key to this sudden change in my abilities"

Yourichi smiled "I know, and I'm sorry. Look, I need to go, but I'll continue looking into this. Okay?"

X nodded "Okay, thanks Yourichi. Oh, can you do me one little thing before you leave?"

"What's that?"

X Prodigy fidgeted a little "Promise me you won't tell Soul Society about this problem. They're wary of me already, and if they heard this I might have hundreds of Shinigami on my ass!"

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!" Jack shouted, kicking a nearby Coke can in anger. After the battle was over, Jack, an unconscious and tied up DarkMagicianmon, and Corruption-formerly known as The Shadow Syndicate-had retreated to the CP9 hideout

The hideout itself was merely the underground sewage system of L.A. If Dark had been conscious, he would've been horrified to see the number of CP9 agent he took out alone was only like 5% of the whole CP9 group. There were hundreds, no thousands of CP9 agents waiting patiently underneath.

Dark would've also noticed that not a single agent was over the age of 18

"Why the hell did you stick your bloody nose in our business?! This had nothing to do to with you?!" Jack growled angrily at Corruption, or didn't even look at Jack, but merely stared forward with an impassive face

"You attack my former boss and friend, and you intend to destroy my former team. Be glad I helped you and not him" Corruption said, further annoying the unstable assassin

"Good point, how do we know you aren't still loyal to them? How do we know you're not a double agent?!" Jack spurred on, wanting Corruption to say he was in fact a double agent

"I own allegiance to one thing and one thing only, and that's to Rasets" Corruption said. Jack was momentarily caught off guard, but quickly made a smug smile

"What, is he this worlds god or Satan or something? I'm an Atheist, so to me all that religious crap sounds like nails on a chalkboard" Jack laughed. He should have been more careful though, as at this, Corruption turned to him. Annoyance on his angled face

"God? Satan?" Corruption repeated. Before Jack could even realise what was happening, Corruption grabbed him by the hair, and shoved the barrel of his Shotgun into his mouth. In but a few seconds, Jack was defenceless and helpless

"Jack!" one CP9 agent shouted in shock. The agents nearby staggered with fright, but none dared attack

"How dare you" Corruption growled "how dare you think so weakly of Rasets"

"Weak? But he called Rasets a god!" another agent pointed out. Corruption however let a loud huff, showing his annoyance

"And you believe that is the limit of an entity power? My lord surpassed all other forms of existence. He became the embodiment of darkness and evil….Fucking hell! What is with you fools?!" Corruption growled

"Oh I must apologise Corruption" boomed out a voice from afar. From the shadows, a figure walked out

He had long blonde hair that was messy, with several strands of hair sticking out and curled. His chin was angled but his face was quite handsome to look at. However before you could ever notice his good looks, you'd have to do the near impossible and ignore his blood red eyes and smile which seemed to show pure happiness and pure madness at the same time

"Oldkid" Corruption said. Oldkid walked up to Corruption, and bowed respectfully in front of him

"You'll have to excuse these little runts Corruption. I'm afraid not everyone can see the light like you did….well darkness technically" Oldkid sniggered. He then turned his attention to the CP9 agents

"Good news dear children. My master Drake got a delivery from your bosses. Three Pacifistas have joined our battle!" Oldkid proclaimed. Almost at once, all the agents cried for joy, like a huge fear had been lifted from their shoulders

Perhaps the Pacifistas alone could secure their victory…

"Well Oldkid. I followed Rasets orders, and have assisted in capturing DarkMagicianmon. Now, are you and these runts planning on destroying the Author Fighters?" Corruption asked, releasing his group on Jack, who gasped loudly for air

"Of course we are you ass! Those bastards are housing a World Government traitor! Nukid and the rest of those Author Fuckers are gonna feel the CP9 wrath!" Jack proclaimed

"Thank you. My lords plan is in no way hindered then" Corruption nodded in satisfaction. He walked towards the exit of the room, passing Oldkid on his way out

"Corruption old pal! Leaving so soon? When will we get the pleasure of seeing you happy face again?" Oldkid asked with his same old smile. Corruption stopped in his tracks, and turned his head towards Oldkid

"I'll return….When you find Noah's Ark, and touch the ground of Rasets holy land with you feet"

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

_**12:00 AM…**_

Kamereon stood a safe distance away from the Author Fighter entrance, far enough so no safety devices would detect him. After a deep breathe in, the Chameleon Darkside morphed his body, until he looked exactly like DarkMagicianmon

"Hmm, too easy" Kamereon said smugly. He walked up to the Author Fighter entrance, and too his utter relief, no alarms went off, and he made it to the front doors safely

"Hey chief" Airnaruto45, Shinobi of Konoha and god of storm walked over and greeted Kamereon, thinking he was Dark

"Hello Air" Kamereon greeted, doing a good job at impersonating him "anything significant happen while I was gone?"

"Nothing really. X Prodigy went off for a while, and hasn't come back yet. You sure were a long time with that work! You've been gone for a whole day!" Air pointed out

"Sorry, my bad Air. You know Nukes, he'll do anything to get out of hard work unless the word "fighting" or "sex" is a part of it" Kamereon joked

"Ain't that true" Air laughed "well, you bests get some rest boss. Goodnight" And with that, Air walked off to his bedroom as well

Kamereon was left by himself in the middle of the Author Fighters very own HQ. He couldn't help but smile at this golden opportunity that had presented itself. Kamereon walked off to his left and immediately began snooping for the HQ power room

Everything was going to Kamereons plan, and thankfully, it was all too easy

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

_**12:05 AM…**_

Not long after Kamereon had snuck into the HQ and gone off, Nukid had walked out and sat outside the entrance, wanting to get some fresh air and look at the starry night, something which-none of the other Author knew-was a sort of hobby for Nukid

However, as usual, Nukid found himself falling asleep outside the entrance. As he slept, he dreamed again of his past…

_**6 Years ago….**_

After the huge battle that had taken place only hours ago, the Marines that had survived had managed to reorganise themselves, and set up camp for the day. To all the Marine soldiers fortune, soup and bread was served out for them all. It tasted shit, but after nearly dying multiple times for hours on end, no one cared the slightest

Nukid and Jack sat on a broken brick wall, eating their food silently, until Jack stopped chewing his bread and turned to Nukid

"Hey Matt, when you joined the Navy, is this what you expected?" Jack asked. Nukid also stopped eating too, and looked thoughtfully down

"Well…no. I thought I would be stationed on some island, and protect it from Pirates and villains. My ideal dream would be to go back to Fuschia Village and guard all my friends and family! What about you?" Nukid asked, only to see two solemn eyes from Jack

"Well, I can't exactly protect my home island" Jack said sadly

"Why's that?"

"Because we've just killed half its inhabitants just now" Jack stated. At first Nukid wasn't sure what he meant, but like a boot to the head, it hit him hard

"THIS ISLAND IS YOUR HOME?!" Nukid shouted, jumping up-dropping his soup and bread-and facing Jack with pure terror

"You've….you've just fought and killed people on your own island! Weren't some of them your friends or family?! How could you do such a thing?!" Nukid asked in a very quick and scared tone

"Matt…" Jack whispered "...the people on this island refused to obey one of the World Government laws because it broke an ancestral tradition of the island. They chose to go against us, and refused to move forward. Instead hey chose to stick with their gods and tradition….and now they're all dead" Jack said, almost bitterly

"You sound like you aren't one of them" Nukid pointed out

"That's because I'm not. When they chose to disobey the World Government, I severed all ties with this island and it's people" Jack said. He got up and walked up to Nukid

"Matt, I know these things may look bad, but believe me, we're doing the right thing!"

"We…are?" Nukid said, still very unsure

"We are Matt! Sometimes we have to do things we're not proud of, but the end will justify the means. I don't care who it is, if anyone gets in the way of the World Governments plans for this world, I'll shoot them down" Jack proclaimed

"You…may have a point" Nukid admitted, but you could tell he was very unsure "but there's not a lot mere grunts like us can do"

Jack smiled "true, but I don't plan on staying a normal soldier forever" Jack then reached out into his pocket and took out a small piece of paper

"What's this?" Nukid asked, taking the piece of paper and reading it

"That Matt is all the info I could find on the rumoured group, the Assassins who work directly for the World Government seniors. It is my dream to join their ranks" Jack said with eagerness and excitement in his voice

"You don't mean…"

Jack nodded "Aye, the CP9"

_**End Flashback…..**_

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

After a few minutes of snooping around, Kamereon found what he was looking for. The Author Fighters control room. He snuck quietly in so no one would hear him. Disguise or not, coming in here at this time would look suspicious

Kamereon walked over to the terminal, and surveyed the different buttons and switches. It took a moment for him to understand completely, but he soon was able to realise what to press and what powered what. Everything was going smoothly

"Having fun there?"

Kamereon froze instantly. He slowly turned his head, and couldn't help but shiver in fear

A teenage boy with dark brown messy hair hidden under the hood of his green hooded cloak stood at the entrance. He held in one hand a huge sword with utter ease. This was the legendary Author Fighter and the teams Twilight warrior, Ranger24

"Pretty cowardly way of getting into enemy base don't you think? If I'd done it, I would've at least left a trail of dead bodies" Ranger joked…sort of. He stepped forward into the room, and Kamereon couldn't help but step back

"I….knew someone would find me out…but I guess I'm pretty unlucky on this part…" Kamereon said with a slight tremble

"To think out of all the Authors who could find me, it would be the strongest Author Fighter of them all. I guess I'm got screwed on this part" Kamereon sighed

Ranger scratched the back of his head "wow, compliments from the enemy. Not sure how to take that"

"Regardless, even if you kill me, the damage I have inflicted is enough" Kamereon stated, airing a bit more confidence now

"What?" Ranger asked in confusion. He then looked over to the terminal, and was shocked by what he saw

Everything was off. The HQ power, the security systems, everything was off. If more enemies attack now, they would be caught with their pants down

Ranger groaned "oh fucking hell"

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

Nukid woke up from his flashback/sleep when he noticed the lights above him flicker off. He groggily woke up and saw that all the lights in the HQ had gone off completely

"What the fu-" Nukid would've finished that curse, had it not been the combat knife that was thrown just in front of his Adams apple

Nukid was no amateur, and if this guy was fast enough to successfully sneak up on Nukes, then he could easily stab his neck right then. The only thing he could do was stand absolutely still

"Long time no see, Matt" the sarcastic voice of Jack said to Nukid. Nukid felt faint from that alone. He called him by his real name, and also, he knew that voice

"J…Jack…" Nukid whispered, turning his head slightly so he could see Jack. To his horror, the face and his blood red hair proved it

"Hey Matt. You sure been up to a lot while I was out" Jack said almost friendly, but Nukid could tell there was nothing friendly in his actions

"Jack…I thought you were dead!" Nukid stated, breathing heavily in shock

"Oh I'm alive, and I'm here to bring you the World Governments justice you and your little friends rightly deserve!" Jack laughed, and with his free hand, clicked his fingers

"World…Government?" Nukid repeated, but he was snapped out of this when he felt small tremors on the ground. After a few moments, he could see in the distance a large, round figure appearing in the background

As the thing slowly walked closer, Nukid couldn't help but shiver a little in fright at what he was seeing

"…No…not him! Don't tell me….you brought Bartholomew Kuma!" Nukid cried out in horror

"Close but no cigar. What you see before you are his Cyborg brothers, the Pacifista" Jack said delightfully. Nukid-despite the situation-couldn't help but relax a little at this

If they had brought Bartholomew Kuma, the Author Fighters had no chance of winning…

"Jack! Stop this now! I'm the only one who betrayed the World Government! I'm the only one who should have to pay!" Nukid pleaded, only to get a slow nod from Jack

"Oh I'm afraid not Matt. These bastards have housed you and treated you as an ally. Anyone who associates with criminals is a criminal themselves! That is what the World Government commands, and so, all your friends will die tonight" Jack proclaimed. He leaned in closer, and whispered with a sadistic grin

"Do you really think the World Government would forget about you?

**Another epic chapter! What is the secret behind the mask? What is happening to X Prodigy? What are Corruptions objectives? And of course, what's gonna happen to the team?! Stay tuned to find out!**

**Note: Some people have complained that i shouldn't make Rasets so strong. Listen, all i am doing is sticking true to what many talented authors have also worked to achieve, and that's make Rasets our No.1 villain. If you have a problem with that, leave it out of any review, and talk about with the Authors, because i am merely honouring their hard work and wishes**


	5. Author Fighters Vs Pacifista PX3 Part 1

Hey everyone. Sorry for the wait, but here's chapter five. Enjoy

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

Nukid wasn't the type of guy to get scared easily. He'd seen some of the worst things life had to offer and come out alive. The Zodiacs, the Black King, 4Kids dubs, you name it

But when looking towards the Pacifista cyborg that had just walked up to Author Fighter HQ, Nukid couldn't help but shiver in fear. It wasn't necessarily the strongest foe the Author Fighters ever faced, they weren't Dark Yonkou level for certain

But Nukid was raised in the Grand Line, and became an Assassin for the oppressive World Government. Everyone at that position of power and higher knew of the Pacifistas, and the stories of them were nothing short of demonic

The Pacifista was about 5 meters tall, and its overall appearance resembled that of a bear, though there were a few key differences. Its eyes were strangely covered by a pair of glasses or clear-mirrored lenses, but the eyes would occasionally glow a bright yellows

The Pacifista had Long, frizzly black hair, a hat with a pair of rounded ears and the hat was covered in brown spots. It wore a black jacket which contained a large white design reminiscent of both a target crosshair and a "Chi Rho," an old Christian symbol

Its frame was bulky and tall, like a human tank. It stood silently, looking ahead motionlessly. Jack used his free hand to wave at the Pacifista

"PX-3, as your current leader, I order you to eliminate all life inside this buildng. They are enemies to the World Government, and must be neutralised" Jack commanded the Pacifista

At this command, Pacifista PX-3 looked forward to the Author Fighter HQ, and the yellow eyes suddenly beamed brightly from behind its glasses. It seemed to be analysing the building, possibly X-Ray vision. Whatever it was, it seemed to have located a specific target

"Target: Author Fighters" Pacifista PX-3 said, spoken in an emotionless voice that had no mercy or qualm. The Pacifista walked forward, ignoring Nukid and Jack and start heading towards different parts of the base, the ground shook with every step it made

Jack laughed harshly behind Nukid, still gripping the knife to Nukes throat "well, that's your team done for! They don't stand a chance against the Pacifista"

"You don't know the Author Fighters Jack" Nukid replied "they won't be beaten so easily"

"Keep telling yourself that, if it keeps you from shitting yourself" Jack said "you and I both know what the Pacifistas are capable of! They don't stop until they're mission is complete and their targets are dead! No complaints, no mercy"

"Aye…" Nukid growled angrily "…The World Governments most ideal soldier"

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

Lunatic121 groggily walked out of his bedroom to head to the Bathroom. He scratched his eyes triedly and walked like a zombie, still very tired. He walked down the corridor, until he made it to the bathroom itself

Loon stepped inside and closed the door behind him. After a few minutes, the sound of the toilet fluashing could be heard from inside the toilet. Loony stepped back outside, still as tired as ever

He therefore didn't noticed at first the Pacifista staring right down at him in the corridorway…

After a few seconds, Loon in fact turned and looked up at the towering Pacifista, but still kept his tired and dull face, showing no worry or fear at the monstrous cyborg

"Hey…." Loon grumbled before turning around and heading back towards his room. For a few seconds, everything was quiet, until…

"WHAT THE HECK?!" Loon suddenly screamed down the corridor. At this, the Pacifista stirred, moving his left leg forward and slowly stomped towards Loon. As the Pacifista came closer, Loon could vaguely see the letter "PX-3" on it's body

"Target: Lunatic121" PX-3 said emotionessly. The cyborg raised it's left arm and aimed it his open hand at Loon. Loon noticed the small hole in the hands centre, to which suddenly strands of bright light started sucking into the hole like a vaccum

"Wh-who are you?! And what are you doing?" Loony demanded, to which he got no reply from they bulky cyborg

The light surrounding the hole suddenly shaped itself into a long bright cross, aimed directly at Loony. You could hear from inside the arm an almost mechanical like sound which got faster and fast as more and more light energy entered the hole. Loon started to slowly step back, not liking what he thought was coming

"Oh cra-"

BOOM

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

Ranger24 felt the whole building shake at the sound of the explosion. He was still cornering Kamereon in the control room, but now his attention was no longer towards the Manufactured Darkside

"What the hell was that?!" Ranger said. Kamereon let out a small snigger which caught the Authors attention "what's so funny?"

"Oh, it's just the images I see imagining you Authors trying to take out the Pacifista. I don't claim to be an expert on the World Government artilery, but even I know you're screwed" Kamereon mocked

"World government?….isn't that the government Nukid once worked for?" Ranger conemplated

"Indeed, and for his crimes against them, your whole team will suffer. Well, I see no reason to get stuck in the middle of this Author massacre" Kamereon joked. He clicked his fingers, and beside hm a dark portal engulfed the air beside him

"Hold it! You're not getting away you bastard!" Ranger growled, but he was too late to stop him, for Kamereon quickly stepped into the portal, and with that the portal began to close

"You should worry more about your comrades than catching me! If you don't hurry, the Pacifista will kill them while they're dozing off!" Kamereon laughed, and that would be the last thing Ranger heard from the Darkside, for with that, the dark portal closed shut, and any previous signs of existance gone

"Shit…" Ranger growled under his breath. So much was happening at once even the Twilight warriors mind was jumbled up. At last he decided right now there was only one thing he could do

Ranger ran over to the control terminal and quickly rebooted the system. The power across the Author Fighter HQ slowly came back to life. It was too late to stop the intruder from breaking in, but that was not what Ranger was trying to do

Ranger leaned forward and grabbed the large microphone to his right, holding it up to his mouth "Wake up you lazy bastards! The base is under attack! Everyone, report to the headquarters garden, and be prepared to fight!"

Rangers command was heard across the base, in every room and corridor. After a few seonds of complete silentness, two bedroom doors opened, and the tired faces of TLSoulDude and Airnaruto45 slowly walked out their respective bedrooms

"Man…what time is it? I bet this is just some stupid prank" Air grumbled, still very tired

"Wasn't that Rangers voice? Didn't take him for the pranking type" TL yawned, scratching his eyes in tiredness. His eyes lit up however when he notcied something, or more accurately, smelt something

"Is it me, or is their smoke in this corridor?" TL said to Air. Air fully opened his eyes, and to his confusion he saw a grey air surround the two. Neither could breath properly from the smoke

"Smoke? What the hells going on here?!" Air asked out loud. The two author turned their attention to the left, where the smoke seemingly came from

"Whatever it is, I have goosebumps about it. We'd better go check it out Air" TL said, to which Airnaruto nodded in agreement. With that, the two authors ran through the smoke, trying to find its origin…

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

The last thing Loony saw before jumpig to the ground was a long beam of light flying over his head at super sonic speed. That was just before the whole floor blew to pieces in a gigantic explosion

Lunatic121 slowly got out of the pile of wreckage that had fallen on top of him. Thankfully, none of it had crushed him or injured him, but netherless Loon was in complete shock and fear. One blast from this goliaths hand, and the wole floor they were on was nothing but rubble

"Damn, a blast like that could've blown up a whople house in one go! The whole base could collapse with another one of tho-" Loony would've continued, had it not been for the fact the Pacifista was now standing rightabove him

"Uh…oh" Loon whispered, watching in frozen fear as the Pacifista aimed his hand again straight down at Loon. Loon could see and hear the light energy gather once again into his hand

"Target: Impending Neutralisation" PX-3 said, the light in his hand shaping the long cross once more. At this short length of distance, ands the sheer amont of power put into the blast, Loon had no chance of dodging…

"Red Lightning!"

PX-3 looked up towards the origin of the sudden voice, only to be hit directly in the chest by a blast of a strange red lightning. The sheer power of the lightning was enough to halt the power up of his light beam, and caused the Pacifista to forcefully step back

However to TLSoulDudes horror, the blast seemed to be unable to break the cyborgs armour body, merely destroy parts of the clothes he wore. Airnaruto45 ran from behind TL and past Loon, his right hand raised back. A swirl of blue chakra quickly concentrated into the said hand, forming a spiralling blue ball

"Rasengan!" Air shouted, slamming the chakra ball straight into PX-3 left hip. PX-3 gritted his teeth in pain (showing that this emotionless cyborg did indeed feel pain) and tried its hardest to keep himself from flying back from the Rasengan

To Airnaruto shock, despite pushing him and hurting him, the Rasengan was doing little to actually force him back. In fact, to everyone nearby horror, the Pacifista made a stomp forward, fighting back the Rasengan

"Airs Rasengan can't stop it! What kind of monster is this thing?!" TL gasped, amazed and shocked seeing such a powerful ninja technique almost useless against the cyborg

PX-3 lifted his right leg to move forward once more but for some reason the Pacifista stopped, and his little leg hung in midair. Airnaruto could tell this was forced, for he saw the cyborg grit its teeth again, like it was trying to fight something back

"Are you guys ok?!" the worried voice of the groups Pokemorph, Roscoso called out from behind. Everyone turned and saw the Author standing with his right arm raised, aimed at PX-3

"Yo Ross! Great timing!" TL said with the utmost relief

"Are you the one causing this monster to stop moving?" Loony asked. Ross gave a slow nod, still concentrating on holding the Pacifista

"I'm using…psychic on this thing!….By the way…what the hell is it?" Ross asked, stopping between cringes. The Pacifista was fighting back, and it was taking all of Ross concentration to hold it still

"No idea! It just suddenly came at me and tried to blow me to bits with this big light beam!" Loon explained, spreading his arms when he spoke of the light beam to emphasis how big and powerfu it was

"It's strong whatever it is. So far the things took my red lightning, Airs Rasengan and fighting your psychic, and we haven't even scratched this thing yet!!" TL exclaimed. Ross eyes twitched and his hand began to shake

"Well figure something out quick!…I can't….keep this up!" Ross growled, trying his hardest to hold the cyborg still

Alas, it could not be done. The sheer bulk and strength of the Pacifista eventually forced the Pokemorph to releae his psychic grip. PX-3 stomped his previously trapped leg back to the ground, and behind his glasses, the cyborgs eyes began shining blood red

"Targets: Airnaruto45, TLSoulDude, Roscoso" PX-3 said, before looking down towards the closest target, Airnaruto

"Shit!" Air growled in hesitation, quickly taking a Kunai from his puch and slamming it straight between the cyborgs eyes

The kunai lodged itself between the eyes, but made only the slightest dent, and the pacifista didn't even flinch in pain from the stab. Airnaruto quickly jumped back and landed straight next to his comrades

"Erm…Air, I don't think attacks like that will do much" Loon pointed out

"Little disciple, didn't I teach you to be more observant" Air grumbled, forming his hands and finger into a strange hand sign. Loon wasn't sure what he meant at first, but the young fictorian looked back at the lodged kunai, and realised his mistake

"Exploding paper!" Loon gasped with impressed surprise, for indeed a rectangular note with a black seal written on it was wrapped around the Kunais end

PX-3 momentarily stopped, and slowly lifted his arm towards the lodged kunai. It was too late however, for in a split second, the Kunai exploded!

"Nggh…" PX-3 groaned slightly, but it was not so much a groan of pain, but more like irritation. The explosion had gone off right next to his eyes, causing the cyborg to be temporarily blinded. The Pacifista swung around madly, clutching his blackened eyes, unable to see

"Now's our chance! Run for it!" Air commanded, and without delay all four authors ran down the destroyed corridor, down the steps and onto the HQ ground floor. To the shock and anxiety of the four, the groun floor had too been devastated by the previous light beam from the Pacifista, but not to the extent of complete destruction the higher floor experienced

"God, the whole base is in ruins from this thing. What kind of monster are we dealing with?" Ross said as the group kept on running

"Well if you ask me, it was a cross between a man and a bear" TL pointed out, to which Loony shook his head

"Nah, I'd say it was more of a cross between a man and a panda" Loon said

"Bro, what kind of panda has those kind of ears?" TL retorted

"Ah touche"

"It doesn't matter what animal it looks like you idiots!" Ross snarled at the brothers, before turning to Air "What now Air?"

"Well, hopefully everyone inside the base currently heard Rangers announcement and has headed outside. For now, let's just hope we can outrun that monster and-"

Luck was not on their side, for the huge Pacifista PX-3 suddenly came down from up above, through the ceiling. The Pacifista landed right in front of the four Authors, hardly hurt, but somewhat pissed

"….Ok….ten to one, this thing has X-Ray vision" Ross sighed, before raising his arms towards the cyborg "Hyper Beam!"

A blast of white energy flew out from the raised hands, hitting the Pacifista once more in its heavily reinforced chest. The blast hit the cyborg hard, engulfing most of its body and made it topple to one knee

"T..Target" PX-3 mumbled, raising his right arm into the hyper beam despite the pain it could be giving it. Despite this, the long light cross shined out of the hole, signifying the upcoming attack

"No way!…How can this thing fight through my attack like this!" Ross gasped, as to everyone shock, this cyborgs light beam was charging like normal

"GET DOWN!" Air shouted to his comrades. TL and Loon quickly dropped to the floor while Airnaruto grabbed Ross and pushed him to the ground

The four Authors were only a split second away from being hit by lightspeed fast light beam which went over their heads, into the wall far back

BOOM

The whole Author Fighter HQ shook like an earthquake from the explosion, which easily destroyed any remains of a once solid wall. The Authors could hear from above much of the base collapse on itself

And all of them wondered how long it would be before the whole place collapsed on itself….

The Authors had little time to contemplate however, for to their much dismay, the Pacifista PX-3 had already raised his arm again, and was already gathering energy into his hand for another light beam

"Targets: Neutrali-" PX-3 was cut off when he flet something hit his back. To his incredibly hard body, it was like paper hitting rock, but there was no mistake, it was a gun shot

Before the Pacifista could fully understand, another bullet hit his back, followed by two more, then five more, before suddenly the cyborgs whole back was having bullets hit him like rain showers!

PX-3 slowly spun around to the far end of the ground level corridor, and saw three new figures, each weilding various kinds of guns. These three Authors were in fact DW64, Hurricane's Quill and Agent Liberi

DW64, who was shooting with two-barrel shotgun, said "yo, our bullets are like raindrops to this monster!"

"Darren's unfortuantely right. What we're doings useless" HQ grumbled, holding his Two double-barrelled revolvers Dragon Breaker and Akelela

Agent Liberi however, smiled confidently as he fired his M90 Shotgun "trust me, sometimes the most important part in a battle is to be the decoy"

"Targets: DW64, Hurricane's Quill, Agent Libe-" PX-3 was cut off from his analysing of targets when he was violently hit in the back of the head, causing the bulky cyborg to topple forward

PX-3 spun his large body around, and saw the attacker was none other than MistressofDawn, who thanks to her ability to sustain her werewolf strength while in human form, was strong enough to move the almost immovable object

Despite this, Dawn rubbed the hand she had punched it with "Man, you're a lot harder than I thought you'd be. No wonder you've taken so little damage" Dawn released her hand and pointed the cyborg "but I'll hit you a thousand more times if you try to kill my friends"

Target: MistressofDawn" PX-3 said, raising his hand to fire another light beam, but Dawn was prepared though, for she ran forward and grabbed the charging arm

Using it as a balance, she expertly balanced her hole body on the huge arm with herone hand, and swiftly delivered a spinning kick to the cyborgs jaw. The cyborg toppled back from the hit, to which Dawn took the chance to send a spinning kick into the Pacifistas chest

PX-3 fell to its knees, almost winded from the attack. Dawn jumped up to its head and chopped both her hands into both sides of the cyborgs head. The attack caused the cyborg to fall to its knees, in which Dawn quickly smashed in the nose

MistressofDawn was about to land another had kick to the Pacifistas face, but to the werewolves horror, the cyborgs mouth began to glow brightly. PX-3 raised its head towards Dawn, where a light similar to its light beam was forming

"It can make light beams….IN IT'S MOUTH!" Loon screamed. Ross was quick to react, concentrating his power towards Dawn, who was currently in serious peril

"Psychic!" Ross roared, and suddenly Dawn flew back into the four authors arms, away from the incoming light blast

"Thanks Ross…..now someone please stop him from firing that light beam" Dawn said, to which none of the Authors present had an answer. They all look towards the incoming beam with fright, for this shot looked almost five times bigger

As if by miracle, a figure dropped down from the hole PX-3 had prviously made and drop down from. At first no one could see who it was, but nearly everyone realised when they saw the keyblade in her hands

"Phoenix!" TL cried for joy as the AF keybearer jumped down

"The one and only!" Phoenix replied, before raising her keyblade over her head and slamming it down on the Pacifistas head

PX-3 head violently slammed shut, biting on the nearly formed light beam. This caused the blast to explode inside its own mouth! The Pacifista flew back violently from the explosion, smoke coming out through its own mouth. However to everyones devastation, however they were getting used to it, the damage seemed minimal

Agent Liberi watched the scene and sighed with relief "thank god" he then turned to his fellow Authors next to him "Darren, Quill, you know what to do"

"Got it" Quill mumbled, running forward and creating a blast of ice in his hands. PX-3 slowly turned towards the incoming Exalted, but was too late to stop the Exalted from the firing the blast of ice straight into the cyborg

PX-3 whole body was frozen, causing it to go stiff. DW64 used this chance and jumped onto its back, in his hands was a strange round device. He quickly slammed the thing between its shoulders, and pressed a button on its centre

"It's on!" DW called out

"All right, everyone run for it!" Liberi ordered. No reason to disagree, everyone in the area ran as fast as they could away from the Pacifista, eventually making it outside the Headquarters into its rather large garden

They were soon to learn that they had been the last ones inside the building. For waiting in the garden was Jean Kazuhiza, Warlord-Xana, Iron Mantis, Dimensiondude, Hikari Ino, X Prodigy, Ranger24, Kitten and Snake Screamer

"About time you guys made it" Ranger grumbled towards them. D-Dude quickly ran over to check on his worn out brothers

"Sorry….the thing inside….caused a lot of problems" Dawn explained between gasps for breath

"I see, well you're all here. Maybe now we can come up with a plan to stop it" Ranger said

"No need…I've got that sorted. We've placed a bomb on its back, and if everyones here, we have nothing to worry about" Liberi stated

"What about our leader, Dark?! He's not here?!" Air pointed out, worry in his voice

"He was never hear to begin with. What you saw was that bastard Kamereon impersonating him" Ranger growled

At this, every Author couldn't help but gasp and show true horror. Their leader, who had led them every mission they went through, may very well be in enemy clutches

Hikari was the most silent, holding her hands togeter with her eyes closed "Sempai…"

"That's enough you assholes!" Ranger called out, snapping them out of their silent worries "Dark is tough as nails! He won't die easily. For now we should only worry about this cyborg thing. How long before you're bomb goes off Liberi?"

Liberi looked at his watched "Oh about……..now"

BOOM

The wind blew violently in each of the Author face as the whole Author Fighter HQ was engulfed in a massive explosion. In a matter of seconds, the once strong base was in rubbles and devastation

For the third time….

After a moment of silence, Liberi sighed and said "I suppose there's one good thing about Dark missing. If he was here right now, I'd be digimon dog food"

X came over to Liberi and patted his back "you may not pay for it now, but trust me, he'll make you pay later"

Ranger "Well at least it was a worthy sacrifice. That damn Cyborg is finally-"

THUMP

All of the Author present felt the slight tremor coming from the reckage, like something was forcing its way upwards. Everyone turned and watced in scared awe, begging it not to be what they thought it was

Lady luck was not on their side today. In a mighty flourish, the PX-3 slammed through the rubble landing just in front of it. For once you could see its damage. It's right shoulder had been ripped open, showing the mechanics inside of it

However to everyones horror, it was alive

"….How….how?! There was enough power in that bomb to blow up a whole UNSC battleship!!" Liberi exclaimed

"Bloody hell…so this is what the World Government is capable of.." Ranger growled. Ranger noticed the fear and horror on his comrades faces, and decided he had to change that

"Listen up guys!" Ranger called out, earning everyones attention "it's still alive, but its weakened, we can win this. Dark may not be here right now, but there's enough brain and brawn between us to take this thing out!"

"Couldn't agree more Ranger" X said, grabbing his swords hilt "I've got a little technique I've been meaning to try out anyway"

"For once, I'll agree with Ranger. We can win this, we'll just find its weakness" D-Dude encuraged

PX-3 slowly walked forward, despite the injuries still ready to fight. Every Author present got ready, grabbing their weapons, or powering their abilites up. Everyone was ready to fight

PX-3 stopped, its red eyes glowing. The Pacifista raised his arm, channeling light energy towards it

"Targets: The Author Fighters"

**Well, there's the first fight scene of this fic. Hope I did a good job. R&R, and please say if i got anyone wrong. Stay tuned**


	6. Author Fighters Vs Pacifista PX3 Part 2

Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy and Happy Halloween!

**NOTE: Some Authors won't appear in this chapter. If you do not appear in this chapter, rest assured you will next chapter. This is just how the fight played out**

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

To say having everything behind you explode suddenly was a surprise to Nukid and Jack is a huge understatement. At one moment Jack had Nukid held at knife point, unable to go and help his friends in need. The next, the two were thrown forward violently by an explosion that blew up the whole base

Several minutes after the explosion, nothing happened at all. Silence crept through the whole area like the silence you'd hear after a battle. After ten minutes or so, a pile of rubble to the right began to fidget

With a mighty burst, Jack slammed through the rubble that had landed and ultimately buried the CP9 agent. With a loud pant, Jack held his hands on the ground, and breathed in deep with every pant

"…Shit!….Shit!…Shit! What the fuck….just happened in there?!" Jack cursed between breaths, a look of shock and horror on his face. His back was turned when the base blew up, so the last thing Jack remembered was everything in front of him zooming past him at high speed before being crushed under rubble. After that, Jack must have blacked out. For how long, he had no idea

Groggily, Jack stood back up, rubbing his hands across he back of his skull to massage the ache he felt there. At first Jacks face remained neutral, with his eyes closed and mouth shut, feeling the pain all over his body slowly go away

"Damn…when they sad the Pacifista were destructive, I never thought they'd be that destructive" Jack said softly

Jack then smiled, but not just a simple smile. The smile wasn't warm or gentle. It was ruthless, savage, and mad. Whatever Jack was thinking right then, it was no doubt sickening to the normal mans mind, but to a revenge driven CP9 agent like Jack, it was like justice had been served

"Destructive…" Jack repeated, slowly laughing as he slid his fngers through his blood red hair, "…that's right. I best those Author Fighters are shitting their pants right now. Well, those still alive"

Boom. Jack heard the sound from the battle not too far away. However he saw no smoke from the explosion, or light from the Pacifistas blast. Jack could only assume then that the Author Fighters have drawn the fight away from the base, and ultimately away from the city of LA

Or perhaps they were running away? Jack wouldn't be surprised. Even if you were the bravest fighters alive, you couldn't help but skip a heartbeat when fighting a Pacifista

The Pacifista were tools of fear. If the fact that there bodies were near indestructible, and that there weaponry arsenal were almost flawless wasn't enough, the fact was that these cyborgs were designed to strike fear into their opponent. Since the Pacifista were modelled after Shichibukai member Bartholomew Kuma, known by many as the 'Tyrant', every pirate and crminal in the Grand Line woud believe the Pacifista to be Kuma, and most likely collapse in fear

Matt, or Nukid has he was calling himself, proved this. As much of a backstabbing bastard he is, he was pretty damn brave and tough. But when he first saw PX-3, he began shivering in fear, believing it was Kuma himself who had appeared

"Ah, if only it had been Kuma who came" Jack said to himself "The Auhthor Fighters would already be dead. Kuma is invinscible after all. Still, the Pacifista are more than eough to take them out. Right Ma.."

Jack had began to speak out towards Nukid, but only now did Jack realise, Nukid was nowhere to be seen. The whole area that was once Author Fighter HQ was now littered with the broken remains of a once tall and proud building. Perhaps Nukid was still underneath some of the large rubble, but at that moment he heard or saw nothing of the former assassin

"Damn bastard…" Jack growled, his face tightening with intense anger. The boy looked like he was going to explode in anger. His teeth slowly biting on his lips as is bod shaked violently. The only thing missing was steam coming his ears

"Never forgive….never forgive….never forgive…." Jack growled over and over through his grinding teeth. Jack looked up, showing his made eyes. Eyes of pure hatred

"I'll never forgive you for what you did to me Matt!! I'll swear to every god in existance if I have to. I swear…" Jack growled, before screaming at the top of his lungs "I'LL KILL YOU FOR YOUR BETRAYAL!!"

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

Nukid was far enough for Jack to not see or hear him anymore. He was by now at the edge of the woods that led into the forest close to the now wrecked Author Fighter HQ. Nukid was in high tail of the Author Fighters and the Pacifista

Nukid wasn't ashamed to admit he nearly wet himself when he saw PX-3. After all, anyone who had heard rumours alone of Bartholomew Kuma would be afraid if they saw him coming.

Nukid was so relieved when he saw it was not Kuma, since the real Kuma was never seen without his copy of the bible in his hands. Furthermore on close inspection, Kumas hands did not have the paw prints, the mark of the invincible power he possessed, on them

Still, that didn't change the fact the Pacifista were here, and that was not much of an improvement. Nukid had faith in his team, but even he had doubts about whether they could take on one of the living tanks. Nukid knew stories of the cyborgs way of handling mission. It was said to be unmerciful, precise to the orders given, without fail, without complaint

It was perfection to the World Government

"I won't…" Nukid whispered as he ran through the trees of the forest. Nukid looked straight forward, his eyes never losing its determination. What was once a face of fear and confusion was now one of confidence and anger

"I won't let the people I care about…die in front of me again!" Nukid proclaimed to himself

Nukid hastened the pace he was running, growing ever more determined to reach his friends. At that moment, you could tell Nukid was an author on a mission. Nothing was gonna slow him down. Nothing was gonna stop him!

That was before Nukid suddenly fell face first onto the ground. After a few seconds, a low snoring came from where his face was lying. Nukid was fast asleep

……Yea

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

If you were interested to travel past the Author Fighter Headquarters, you would eventually find yourselves in an exotic forest that went on for many miles. Being located at the very edge of LA was a blessing for the AF since they could easily go for walks and adventuring in this local jungle

Tonight however, it was a battlefield

Agent Liberi ran through the woods with a quiet sense of urgency. In his hands he held his trusted SRSD 99 Sniper Rifle, always ready to pull it up and shoot at the Pacifista if caught by it

But, would it matter if he did shoot? Liberi saw the kind of punishment this thing could take, and even a man like Liberi couldn't help but dread the cold hard fact if the Pacifista caught him now, things would be completely against him

Still, Liberi knew not to dread on things too long, and to his fortune he was currently not being followed by PX-3. When the cyborg emerged from the rubble, the authors intentionally ran into the forest so that the fight would be drawn away from the city. At some point the group split up and went their separate ways to confuse the Pacifista. It seemed it had not chosen to follow Liberi

Despite his luck, Liberi wasn't intending to stray from the fight. The first step was for Liberi to regroup with some of his allies. If he was able to find 5 to 10 other Authors, then they could concentrate on taking down the Pacifista

Any less, Suicide

Liberi reached the edge of the wood that was split in two by a big, man made road. Obviously made for vehicles to travel both directions. Liberi intended to cross through this road and head to the other side of the wood, but being a path, it meant no more trees for cover for several feet. Liberi intended to cross it quick

After looking in both the road directions, Liberi took his chance. He ran across the wide road at full speed. Everything seemed okay for the freelancer. In a matter of seconds he would be safely on the other side of the forest

That was, until everything on his left blew up in a bright explosion

Liberi staggered as the earth shook from the explosion on the left side in front of Liberi. What were once proud and tall trees was now just debris that came tumbling down and crashing on the road. Smoke from the explosion clouded the whole road.

It was hard to tell, but Liberi was certain of it. Lying lifelessly on the ground was a human figure. Liberi had to assume that it was one of his comrades. After all who else would be in these woods at this time? Liberi cautiously stepped towards the smoke, growing ever closer to the figure lying sprawled across the road

THUMP

That sound was becoming like a bad omen to Liberi. The loud thud with the small tremor followed by multiple more similar thumps. Even if it had been but a few hours, Liberi new what it was

The giant Cyborg PX-3 had arrived

Instinctively, Liberi ran to his right and slammed his body right next to the nearest tree, hiding himself from anyone on the road. It seemed it was the cyborg that had caused the explosion and injured the person on the road He wanted to help whoever it was on the road, but exposing himself to that monster alone? Liberi wasn't the happiest of men, but he didn't have a death wish

The thumping got closer and closer to the large road, growing louder ad louder with each thump. The final thump was the loudest, since it was right on the road, smashing the road with a leg-sized hole

Carefully tilting his head so he still wouldn't be seen, Liberi saw it. Pacifista PX-3 stood high, higher than any of the trees in this massive forest. At this angle, Liberi was safe, but any closer and he would be exposed

PX-3 seemed only interested in one thing, and the was the person lying on the ground. With small steps, PX-3 walked closer and closer to the figure. Only the keenest of eyes could make out what the person looked like through the smoke, something Liberi had

At first Liberi couldn't tell much, but as the smoke from the explosion cleared away slowly, more could be made out. The person had a male physique. He was wearing a strange kind of armour. He held what was seemingly as scythe in hand

His right arm and leg were missing, as well as the right side of his stomach and rib cage

"Iron Mantis…" Liberi whispered to himself in realisation. Indeed, the mantis armour clad Author Iron Mantis was the one lying on the ground, with much of this body blown to bits

This was good and bad. Good because Iron Mantis had excellent regeneration skills. So long as his organs and head were intact, Mantis could regenerate his body and keep on fighting

The bad? Well, there was a giant cyborg standing right above him, about to blow him to bits

PX-3 looked down at Mantis with his glowing red eyes, and with the sound of metal clanging inside, it raised its right arm palm aimed at Mantis. Light began to engulf the area around the hands hole, forming a large cross shape

"Target: Impending Neutralisation" PX-3 said with no emotion or sympathy. The blast was nearly charged, nearly ready to blow Mantis to bits

"Damn…." Liberi cursed to himself, tightening his grip on his SRSD 99 Sniper Rifle. Unless something or someone intervened, Iron Mantis was about to get blown to bits. He wanted to help, but all his weapons, all his ammo, they were just like flies to this thing! Liberi doubted even the super powered Authors like Ranger24 or X Prodigy could take this thing on one on one, s how could he?

Perhaps it was the heat of the moment, or even worry for his endangered friend, but at that moment Liberi forgot all regard and logic, and sprung out of his hiding spot. Before he was back on his two feet, Liberi had his sniper rifle aimed at PX-3, ready to shoot and distract the cyborg away from Mantis

Turns out, he didn't need to

The once lifeless Iron Mantis opened his eyes, showing no pain from his injuries. Grabbing what looked like a grenade from his belt, Mantis took out the pin and released it into the air, stopping right between the cyborgs eyes

Boom, the grenade exploded straight in front of PX-3 face, causing the juggernaut to stagger back. The cyborg kept staggering back, causing the earth to shake with it. It's eyesight seemingly been temporarily destroyed, as the cyborg swaggered its body and swung its arms, almost as if it were trying to hit anything that dared charge at it. Liberi couldn't help but be surprised at how human cyborg was right now, with this sense of urgency and perhaps fear

"Thank god that blast missed my heart and head!" Mantis said with the utmost relief. He turned his attention towards PX-3, or to be precise, behind it "Jean now!!"

Jean? Liberi was caught of by this seemingly random word. Liberi would realise it was not random however, for in a flurry Jean Kazuhiza shot out from the woods, and grabbed the Pacifista behind his back, wrapping both arms around the cyborgs chest

"GERMAN SUPLEX!!" Jean roared, his face going red from the sheer large body he was lifting. Liberi doubted he had never lifted something so heavy

At first it seemed like he couldn't, but to Liberi and PX-3 surprise, the cyborg suddenly found his feet were no longer touching the ground. PX-3 let out a silent gasp as his whole body suddenly swung upside down in the air, until with a might crash, PX-3 landed headfirst back onto the road, creating yet another hole in this no much ruined road. The Pacifista fell down completely, momentarily lifeless

After releasing his grip on PX-3, Jean slumped to his knees, panting heavily. Lifting this monster once was enough to tire out the former wrestler, but regardless Liberi was impressed. To think anyone besides in the team besides Nukid had that kind of physical strength!

"…Kitten…Quill…you guys…are up!" Jean said between gasps for breath. Sounds of rustling trees could be heard, until the young Kitten Hachi-Chan and Exalted Hurricanes Quill appeared from out of the woods

"Nice going guys!" Kitten said with an excited smile

"Leave the next step to us" Quill said to Mantis and Jean. Kitten and Quill then quickly ran and stood on both sides of the Pacifista, and both began to form ice in their hands

Once a substantial amount of ice was formed in both hands, the two authors pressed down on PX-3, who was slowly beginning to move again. The ice spread from their hands and began to engulf the impenetrable skin of PX-3. Before the Pacifista could properly understand what was happening, he was already frozen head to toe in a strong cocoon of ice

Liberi was suffice to say shocked, but impressed. These four kids had successfully come up with a plan to lure the cyborg into a trap, and detain the creature from attacking anymore. Liberi let out a sigh of relief. Originally, he had said it would take at least five to beat it. Sometimes it was good to be wrong

Liberi got back onto both feet and walked over to the triumphant group "I gotta give you kids credit. You thought up a good plan"

"Hey Liberi! Care for a Robot flavoured Popsicle?" Kitten joked

"Where were you freelancer? You missed out on all the fun" Mantis asked. By now his body had completely regenerated, and he was back on his feet too

"I was about to intervene when I thought you were a goner Mantis. Turns out you guys had it all covered"

"Yea….we've finally took this monster down" Jean said, finally breathing at a calm pace

"Don't get comfortable. It's only been frozen. It's not dead" Liberi warned, the seriousness in his voice quickly ridding the relieved atmosphere

"Liberi right. This thing can take a beating, so I doubt it's down for the count. Still, so long as its trapped in this ice…" Quill, while talking, had motioned his head to the frozen cyborg. What he was enough to put him, and everyone else, in deep fear

PX-3 eyes had began to shine red again…

A second later, a bright yellow appeared from the cyborgs left hand. The four could hear the ice crack, as the red hot light attack charged inside the Pacifistas hand

"Oh crap….EVERYONE GET AWAY!!" Mantis shouted to his comrades. Quickly, all four authors ran back from the glowing cocoon of ice, but it was too late to dodge it

The light beam from it left hand exploded, causing the ice which had once frozen it completely to blow to bits, freeing the cyborg from its icy imprisonment. Groggily, the Pacifista got back on its feet. After rubbing its eyes, PX-3 stared towards the five authors

"Targets: Agent Liberi, Hurricanes Quill, Kitten Hachi-Chan, Iron Mantis, Jean Kazuhiza" PX-3 said, and then opened its large mouth wide open. A bright light, similar to the light beam from its hand, began to form in its mouth!

"Uh oh" Liberi muttered. Bringing his SRSD 99 Sniper Rifle towards the Pacifista. Not exactly the best weapon when this close up, but now was hardly the time to pick and choose

Mantis followed suit, aiming his magnum, filled with explosive shells at the Pacifisa. Hurricanes Quill also aimed his Two double-barrelled revolvers Dragon Breaker and Akelela at the cyborg. In unison the three authors fight bullet after bullet directly at the PX-3, who was still charging his beam from his mouth

They might as well have been firing at it with water pistols…..

"Damn it! This isn't working!" Liberi growled in a combination of frustration and anxiety

"We've gotta do something! We'll be blown to bits before we got a chance to run from the beam!" Jean cried out

"Well if you've got any ideas then just do it!" Quill spat back.

At this Mantis stopped firing. He observed the area around the Pacifista, and then shot a quick glance toward his Magnum. He had thought of something, since the mantis armour clad Author smiled

"Stand back guys!" Mantis ordered. He aimed his magnum just left of PX-3, towards the left side of the forest. He pulled the trigger, and with a mighty explosion, several trees blew up and collapsed

The said trees collapsed right onto the still beam charging Pacifista. The nearest tree hit the cyborg in the head, causing the beam he was charging to fire at the ground right in front of his feet

Just about everything in front of the Pacifista exploded in its face. Tar and debris flew into the air, landing around and on the cyborg, once again blinding the cyborg and hiding its targets

"Run for it!!" Quill beckoned to his team-mates. No one had complaints, and at once everyone ran to the right, into the woods

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

The group consisting of Agent Liberi, Hurricanes Quill, Kitten Hachi-Chan, Iron Mantis and Jean Kazuhiza ran for what felt like several gruelling minutes, never stopping for a second for a breather. The Pacifista was gonna be hot on their tail, but right now they should have good distance away from it

"Can we…stop for a second….I need to…catch my breath…" Kitten asked between gasps. Being the youngest, she didn't quite have the stamina the four other authors did

"Sure, just ask the Pacifista for a time out. I'm sure it'll be willing to wait" Liberi snapped back

"Hey, be sympathetic Liberi! We're all tied out because of that monster" Mantis growled

"What is…that thing anyway?…And why…is it attacking us?!" Kitten asked as the five continued running

"Most likely it has some past with one of us Authors, and it has gotten us all involved since we're their comrade. I'd like to know which one of us its connected to. I have a nice bullet prepared for him" Liberi said with a somewhat sadistic smile

"……Well, which Author is known for getting the Author Fighters in situations where we just can't seem to win?" Quill asked. For a moment everyone was silent, pondering the question, until at once

"Nukid"

"Nukid"

"Probably Nukid"

"I'd have to say Nukid"

"Bet it's that narcoleptic idiot Nukid"

Liberi pondered "Hmm, I'll have to make sure he's not using Tekkai when I blow his brains out"

--

"ACHOO!!" Nukid sneezed, suddenly awakening from his daily narcoleptic induced sleep. Nukid wiped his nose and wondered

"Hmm, was someone talking about me just then?" Nukid asked himself, before shaking his head "what am I saying? I don't believe in crap like that!"

Suddenly, Nukid fell back to the floor, asleep once again…..

--

"So, what next Liberi?" Jean asked the freelancer

"We need to locate and meet up with some of team-mates. The more of us there are to take out that thing, the better. We'll use this chance while we're far away from the cyborg" Lberi explained

"Um…there's a problem with that Liberi" Quill said, his voice softer than usual, and his face frozen in fear

"Why's that?"

"The cyborgs right behind us"

"Oh right………what?" Liberi motioned his back, and even he couldn't help but gasp

The PX-3 was running towards the five, and it wasn't slow to say the least. It was in fact running faster than the average human could! Meaning the Pacifista was catching up, slamming any trees that got in its way like they were light as feathers

"Holy shit!! It's so fast!!" Mantis gasped in horror. Liberi let out a sigh followed with a deeply tired and fatigued face

"Super strength, impenetrable skin, explosive beams and now faster than the average human……I'm gonna murder the asshole that built this thing"

Out the corner of both eyes, Liberi notice something move around two trees on both sides of the forest. Liberi ignored it, hardly having the time to concentrate on it. In a matter of seconds the Pacifista was gonna catch up, and when it did he doubted they could fight it off by themselves

It wasn't until when the Pacifista caught up with the five Authors did Liberi learn what those flickers of movement were. MistressofDawn and Phoenix of The Darkness both suddenly jumped out from the trees and landed on both sides of the cyborg

Before the cyborg could react to the two new enemies, Mistress had already spin kicked PX-3 in the back of its left leg, while Phoenix had summoned her keyblade, and smashed into it into her right leg

PX-3 collapsed onto the ground, landing on its chest. Slowly, the cyborg held its hands onto the ground so it could stand up again. It was then everyone heard a clapping noise, followed by the ground surrounding PX-3 arms to turn static with some kind of electric field

Suddenly, the ground surrounding the Pacifista arms began to engulf them, trapping the cyborg by the arms. PX-3 tried to tug its way out, but it was too much to break with but a few mere tugs

"Mistress! Phoenix! Hikari!" Kitten jumped with joy to see the three female authors. The three girls ran up to the five, all with relieved faces

"You guys are okay! We were worried since when we separated it was only we three around this area" Phoenix explained

"You guys look beat. How badly has this thing been to you guys?" Dawn asked

"Half my body got blown up, if that's any proof of how bad it was" Mantis said

"Well, regardless we're glad we found you, and we're glad there were others around here besides us" Hikari said with a warm smile

"Don't forget us guys too!" the sound of TLSoulDudes voice shouted out. From Kittens left, TLSoulDude, DimensionDude and Roscoso appeared from out the trees, taking the number up to 11 authors

"Guys! Thank god you're all okay!" Quill sighed with relief

"Thanks. Seems like you've been having trouble with this cyborg" D-Dude pointed out

"Sure have. The things more than just a living tank. It can take several kinds of punishment and still keep on fighting. It's damn near unstoppable" Liberi grumbled

D-Dude however, wiggled one of his scaly fingers "ah, that's because you haven't exploited its weakness"

"Weak…ness?" Mantis repeated, somewhat confused "you know it's weakness?!"

"Think about it guys. Just look at its legs" TL said. The 8 Authors turned to the trapped Pacifistas legs and examined them

What was so odd about them was the fact compared to the rest of its body they were very small! They were short, stumpy and looked unable to cope with the huge mass that was PX-3 body. Liberi would've gone as far to say they were smaller than its arms

"I bet you've noticed. The fact these things were can stand and run on such stumpy legs is amazing in itself, but that also means there must be a lot of strain on them too" Ross explained

"Us three have been discussing it, and we agree that must be its Achilles heel. It's weakness" TL explained

"You may be right, but what now though?" Jean asked

"TL and Ross are both gonna attack the cyborgs legs individually. They are both two of our most destructive authors. Their attacks directed at their legs should be enough to destroy them" D-Dude explained

Together, Ross and TL stood looking towards each leg at a safe distance, TL on the right, Ross on the left. In unison, both raised their arms and began to charge their respective powers. The Pacifista swaggered more and more, trying to break free of Hikari alchemy, but at that time unable to

"Do you think it'll work? This thing can take a beating" Quill asked

"Hey, D-Dude said it should work. He is the smartest of us after all" Kitten replied

"Besides, D-Dude made a good point" Liberi added "such small legs….the fact they can hold the cyobrg is amazing indeed, but they must also be a lot less weaker than the rest of its body. Hopefully, this'll work"

"All right you two, fire!" D-Dude commanded. TL and Ross nodded

"CHAOS BLAST!!"

"RED LIGHTNING!!"

Both authors fired their respective blast straight at both legs. What was to follow were two gigantic explosion, engulfing the whole area in a smoke. Not even the large Pacifista could be seen in this smoke cloud

"Did it…work?" Jean asked, partly to rid the eerie quietness. As the smoke cleared, The Pacifista was seen once again

The legs were in perfect condition

"I..I..Impossible!! There no way that could fail!!" D-Dude whispered in horror, falling to his knees

PX-3, with a might thrust, smashed its arms out of the alchemy traps, and stood on both feet. Besides the smoke that came from them, the legs were completely unaffected by the blast

"No way…Our attacks…" Ross whispered in horror

"…They….they didn't even burn it!" TL cried out

"His whole body….his whole body is just as strong no matter where you hit it! What the heck are we up against?!" Phoenix asked out in horror

PX-3 moved forward towards the Authors. At once, all the Authors staggered back. Fear, horror, stress, hatred. All these emotions and many more were evident on this face. No matter what they tried, nothing could bring this cyborg down

"Targets: Impending Neutralisation" PX-3 said in his usual, emotionless voice

"This thing….it has…it has…." Dawn whispered, unable to say

"This cyborg…" Liberi growled "….It has no weakness"

**Can the authors stop this monster? Can Nukid wake up and join the fight? Can I update in less than a week?! Stay tuned to find out**

**By the way, this chapter is 5,234 words long! Longest chapter I've wrote!**


	7. Author Fighters Vs Pacifista PX3 Part 3

Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy

--

**I remember the day when I first saw Bartholomew Kuma. It was like many other days back then, it was on the battlefield….**

Nukid pushed his back onto the muddle wall of the trench, kneeling down so as to dodge the bullets overhead. A sense of urgency crept down his spine. This wasn't the typical urgency Nukid normally felt while on battle. Sure he was always afraid for his life while on battle, but he always knew that his side was winning the battle. That justice was prevailing

Today however, justice was not prevailing. The Navy was losing the battle, and Nukid was truly afraid of dying that very moment

It originally started out like a normal mission for Nukid and Jack. Their battalion would head out to a small remote island on the outskirts of the Grand Line, and topple a small resistance to the World Government. It seemed simple enough. No one doubted it would be an easy job compared to previous battles. They all doubted there would be fewer than 1000 soldiers

However, things went completely wrong. Upon reaching the island, they did not only find the small resistance force, but several dozen-pirate ships, fighting with the resistance. The combination of resistance soldiers and pirates was too much for the Navy crew, who were barely surviving the onslaught

Nukid bit his lip in anger. Damn resistance soldiers must've bribed the pirates into assisting them in defending the island. It was an ambush all along, and the Navy had fallen right into it. Nukid quickly ducked under a barrage of incoming bullets overhead, all of which hit an unfortunate soldier behind Nukid

"Damn it…. this is fucked up!" Nukid wheezed, his voice choking from the fumes of a nearby explosion "I can't believe they hired pirates to help them!"

"What do you expect?" Jack growled, who was kneeling right beside Nukid "everyone who goes against the World Government is the same. They're all just pests we need to squash"

"R..Right, but at this rate we'll be the ones squashed! We're outnumbered ten to one!" Nukid said distressfully

"Then worked ten times as hard! We cannot fail the World Government!" Jack barked back, jumping up and shooting towards the enemy line. Nukid couldn't help but shiver a little at his voice. It was so ruthless and without fear, like he would rather die than fail the World Government

Nukid would come to realise that was exactly the case….

STOMP

The ground shook, and the shooting stopped. Was it a tremor? Nukid didn't think so, he got the feeling it felt like something had just crash landed onto the ground, something heavy.

"Excuse me soldier"

Nukid froze at the voice. It was by no means a scary or evil sounding voice, but it was loud and yet low pitched, being able to be heard over the sounds of gunfire. Most of all though, it sounded devoid of emotion. Nukid slowly turned around towards the voice, and he quickly realised the persons voice was hardly the scariest thing about him

He was an absolutely enormous figure, well over 5 meters tall. He wore a jacket that contained a large white design reminiscent of both a target crosshair and a "Chi Rho," an old Christian symbol. There were several paw prints lining the bottom hem of his coat, and he wore grey pants. He had black shoulder length wavy hair with eyes that were strangely covered by either a pair of glasses or clear-mirrored lenses. In his left hand, he carried a large copy of the Bible

"Where is it believed the enemies base is?" the large figure asked with the same emotionless voice

"S..straight ahead, a few miles away from here" Nukid replied with a slight tremble. Who wouldn't when so close to such a goliath of a person. Nukid pointed in the mentioned direction

The figure looked up to where Nukid was pointing, and then looked back down at Nukid "Understood. I shall attend to this situation immediatley"

Nukid blinked, and he suddenly realised, the bear like man had dissapeared out of sight. Nukid span full circle around himself, but the figure was nowhere to be seen

"Who….who was that?" Nukid whispered. Jack walked up to Nukid and patted him n the shoulder, a smile on his once angry face

"That is our victory Matt. That man was Bartholomew Kuma, one of Seven Warlords of the Sea, who has shown complete alligience to the World Government. There's nothing to worry about now Matt, now he's here, we've won!" Jack said with a big smile on his face

Nukid looked around and saw that many other soldiers-partically the old experienced ones- shared the same expression as Jack. Nukid turned back to Jack "is he really that powerful?"

"Of course he is Matt. Don't you know?" Jack asked, turning his head towards the enemy frontline "Bartholomew Kuma is invinscible"

Five minutes later, after hours of overwhelming the World Government, the surviving resistance soldiers and pirates surrended to the World Government

Supposedly, all of the resistance leaders and pirate captains had dissapeared into thin air…..

--

Nukids eyes snapped open, and the assassin quickly got back onto his feet. If any of the Author Fighters found him sleeping in a situation like this, he would've had hell to pay

Nukid rubbed his head, mildy disturbed at the dream he had just had. No, the flashback to a time long ago for Nukid. A time when he believed in something, believed he was truly doing something to help keep his world in order

He'd been a bloody fool, and it took the death of someone he loved to realise how fucked up The World Government really was. And now, his friends were suffering because he rose against that corrupted government. Nukid had to move fast, and make sure no one died bacause of him….again

"Soru!" Nukid said, before running at super speed through the forest, hoping to find his friends and the Pacifista soon. Nukid knew how tough the Pacifista were, but Nukid felt some relief in one simple fact

They weren't fighting Bartholomew Kuma. The Author Fighters actually had a chance of surviving this fight.....

--

PX-3 stood up straight, showing no signs of pain or fatigue. Its only injury being the cut on its right shoulder and smaller cuts and burns around its body. All too small to exploit.

Surrounding him, were the injured and fatigued Author Fighters, Agent Liberi, MistressofDawn, Phoenix of the Darkness, Hurricanes Quill, Jean Kazuhiza, Iron Mantis, Kitten Hachi-Chan, TLSoulDude, Dimensiondude, Hikari Ino and Roscoso

For what felt like hours, they fought the cyborg non stop, hitting harder and harder, trying to bring this monster down. However, there attacks proved to do little, only managing to slightly cut and burn the cyborg. Its armour was not only insanely strong, but there wasn't a single part of it that showed to be weaker or fragile than the rest

It was like Liberi said, it had no weakness

"..Damn….this thing…" Ross cursed the Cyborg, panting heavily. Being both Pokemorph and Kamen Rider, he still had a lot of energy left in him. He raised his hands, seemingly to charge a Hyper Beam, but D-Dude grabbed Ross hands to stop him

"Ross, save your strength" D-Dude told Ross "not even that would graze this thing. There's no need to waste your energy"

"But then what do we do?!" Ross replied anxiously "if we don't hit him hard, then we can't do anything against it! Liberi was right, this thing doesn't have any weaknesses!"

"Hmm…" Liberi growled, looking toward PX-3 in deep thought "whoever made this thing knew what he was doing. He designed it so that an equal amount of protection and strength was placed all over its body so that it wouldn't have an achellis heel"

"We originally thought its legs might've been weaker than the rest of its body since they were so stumpy, but even that proved to be wrong" Mistress explained. Everyone looked at the PX-3 with the same expression. An expression of hopelessness

"Targets: Impending destruction" PX-3 stated, and with a mighty slam, moved one step closer to the fatigued authors

"Get ready guys! It's coming!" Phoenix ordered the group, raising her Keyblade up. Everyone prepared themselves, but each one of them felt tired and worn out, and they couldn't help but doubt whether they could still fight it off!

Luck would have it, they wouldn't need to….

"RASENGAN!!" Airnaruto and Lunatic121 simultainously shouted, jumping down from the trees and landing betwee the group and PX-3. Both held Rasengans in hand, and in a split second, both charged and slammed their two Rasengans into the PX-3 lower chest. The two chakra balls caused they cyborg to slowly move bacwards, but the cyborg held its ground, grinding its huge teeth while holding back the pain

"Air! Bro! About time you guys showed up!" TL shouted with open relief and happiness

"Good to be back, but no good to see this bastard!" Air said, pushing harder back with his Rasengan. The Pacifista faltered a little, but only a little. It keep its ground, fighting back the Rasengans with its insane amount of strength

"Why won't this thing just fall down already?!!" Loon cried out, neither his Rasengan or Airnaruto's being unable to penetrate its tough skin. PX-3 stomped its feet hard on the ground, intending not to move back anymore, and raised both arms towards Air and Loon

"Targets" PX-3 murmoured, before both of the holes in each hole began to flash yellow. A yellow cross shape was aimed at each other, two light beams were about to be shot in unison

"Oh…crap" Air whispered. There was no way he and Loon could dodge these close range attacks in time….

"SONIC SCREAM!!" The slghtly muffled voice of Snake Screamer shouted. Slightly muffled because of the bandages covering his mouth. Snake Screamer suddenly appeared standing on PX-3 right shoulder, holding the bandages before tearing them off!

What was heard next deafened anything too close. Snake Screamer released a sonic scream right into the cyborgs ear that almost at once brought the thing to its knees in pain. This caused it to lose control of both charging light beams, and both shots accidently hit the ground besides the Cyborg

Suffice to say, the two explosions caused the Pacifista to fly into the air, landing hard on the ground several feet away. It lyed on the ground face down, but by now the Author Fighters knew it wasn't out

"Don't let it get back up! Keep it on the ground!" D-Dude told everyone. Not disagreeing with the strategy, every Author with guns aimed and fired radidly towards the PX-3, hitting it from all direction. While damage was minimal, it was making indeed making it hard for the Pacifista to get back on its feet

Dimensiondude ran up to the Pacifista, and jumped over it. While in mid air, he fired with a snarl fire from its mouth onto the cyborgs back. PX-3 was hit hard by the fire, causing the cyborg to roll around on the ground to put out the fire

Phoenix raised her keyblade into the air, and shouted "lightning!"

From the sky, a lightning bolt flew down and struck the cyborg in its spine, causing its left hand-which was holding onto the ground- to slip and cause PX-3 to hit the ground hard

"Heh, when this thing's on its ass it ain't so tough!" Mantis laughed

If PX-3 ever showed some kind of anger or frustration, it was then. At that insult, PX-3 opened its huge jaw, and a huge beam of light began to fluxate from it. It was aimed straight ahead, in the direction of Mantis, Liberi and Kitten

"That's….aimed right at us!" Kitten gasped, the light beam nearly ready as the three said Author quickly ran as fast as they could from the light beams area, but they'd seen how powerful its blast were, and they weren't sure they could make it out in time!

"To quote Nukid, BOOT TO THE HEAD!!"

Mantis, Liberi and Kitten had no need to worry though, for from the treetops sprang out DW64, who came crashing down with a hard hit on the PX-3 skull. The Pacifista slammed its jaw shut, right onto the light beam it had been charging

Suffice to say, this caused it to blow up right in its mouth! PX-3 let out a groan of agony, smoke covering its face, the cyborg grasped its face with its hands, standing up as it covered its face

"It's open! Help me get the thing on its back!!" DW ordered his team, seemingly having a plan

"I don't know what you're planning Darren, but it's better than nothing!" TL barked, raising his gloved hand towards PX-3 "Red Lightning!"

A blast of red lightning blasted towards PX-3, hitting it square in the chest. The cyborg tripped back, landing on its ass and sitting on the ground. It was still not down

In unison, Jean Kazuhiza and MistressofDawn ran up to the Pacifista and jumped up to its face. Spinning in mid air, Mistress hit the Pacifista with a spinning kick right into the nose. The incredible strength Dawn possesed in human form alone was enough to send the PX-3 into a mild daze, the cyborg heads falling back and looking up to the sky

He looked up, only to see Jean falling above him, his right knuckle clenched hard. With a might smash, he punched the cyborg straight in the jaw, causing the cyborg to truly fall on its back

"Good job! Now, keep it trapped!" DW ordered the group

"Sounds easy enough" Quill grunted, running next to the Cyborg left side and clasping his hands together, creating ice from those hands. Quickly, he covered the Pacifistas hand with the ice, temporarily trapping it

Likewise, Kitten did the same thing on its right hand, creating her own ice and trapping that too "there you go, won't last long though!"

"Good job you two" Hikari complimented, before running towards the cyborgs stumpy feet. She clapped her hands, before slamming them onto the ground. The ground around PX-3 legs engulfed them, causing both its legs and arms to be trapped by some form of element

"We got him trapped kid, but that won't last long" Liberi warned DW64, walking over to the mercenary

"It doesn't need to last long my friend. Watch" DW said, before looking up to the treetops "NOW WARLORD!!"

The Authors were a confused at first at what he was calling to, but it all became clear when a figure suddenly jumped from the treetops, right down towards the cyborg. That figure as you may have guessed, was Warlord Xana

Warlord held out his Katana, facing down. Not only that, but you could see it was also fluxating with electricity. It was aimed straight at PX-3 open mouth, and was crashing down with Warlord himself

Before the cyborg realised it, Warlord slammed his Katana into its mouth. What happened then was blurrd by the bolts of lightning that surrounded the area and blinded the Authors sight. They did however hear…

"AAAAAHHHH!!!!"

The sound of someone screaming in pain. However, it was not Warlord who was screaming, for the first time, it was the Pacifista who was screaming in pain….

Warlord narrowly jumped out in time before PX-3 exploded inside its own mouth. Smoke from the mouth engulfed its own body, blinding the authors of its condition, but they could all see the faint image of a giant, lifless body. All of the Authors present surrounded together and looked towards the smoke cloud that hid the Pacifista

"Warlord….Darren….you guys are geniuses! How did you know that would work?!" Jean asked, amazed at the two for their thinking

"Well, this being a cyborg, I figured Warlords electricity had a good shot of taking this thing down. Also, even with that giant light blaster there, its mouth was still a good opening" DW explained

"All I needed was a clear shot at its mouth, and thanks to your work and Darrens co-ordinating, I got that shot" Warlord thanked

"I'm impressed you two" Liberi said, patting them both "that was some clever thinking you did there"

"Yea…." Dawn whispered, looking around herself cautiously "…but guys, I don't think we should stay here. What if they are other cyborgs waiting?"

"If there are, I demand a vacation after this" Phoenix sighed "I agree with Dawn though, we need to leave here now"

With many nods, all the Authors turned and walked away from the Supposed dead Pacifista. Nearly all the Authors were the same, alive but worn out. Some of the were limping, others were rubbing parts of their body, while some were simply tired and out of breathe. The only authors who didn't look that tired were DW64 and Warlord-Xana, who had came into the fight later

As they walked, Hikari looked uneasy "Guys, I know Xana attack did harm but…..do you really think he's down?"

"Aw relax Hikari!" Loon assured positively "Warlord stabbed the thing in its mouth…with lightning! Not even that monster can stand up after tha.."

THUMP

At this, everyone stopped, frozen in shock. For the past few hours, whenever that sound was heard, it made only trouble. But it couldn't be! Not after all those attacks!

But it was. Pacifista PX-3 slowly got back onto its feet. Electrical sparks felw from its mouth, part of its cheek had been cut up by Warlords sword, making it his most noticable injury. But it was standing, and it was ready to fight

"No….no way…" Kitten whispered, dropping to her knees

His face openly shocked, it slowly turned to one of anger and fustration "What the fuck…is this thing…"

"Tar….gets" PX-3 murmoured, noticable slower than before. Warlord and DW attack had indeed done it damage. It was slightly groggy, and less imposing than before, but hardly so much it was still scaring the heck out of all the Authors

In a flicker, PX-3 raised both hands towards the group, and showed to fully charged blasts of light, readied to be fired

"Shit!" Mantis cursed "there's no way we can miss them at this close range!"

"Tar…gets……dead!" PX-3 roared, both hands illuminating from the sheer power of both blast. In a split second, both blasts would be fired, and the Authors could not evade in time. Many looked away from the light, patly from its strength, partly because of fear. They were all about to be blown to bits in just a second….

1 second passed, and then 2, and then many more, but nothing happened. The blasts never hit the group. In fact, there were no blasts at all!

"Christ, you guys suck"

Everyone turned to the Pacifista, and it was safe to say everyone had the same expression. Two Authors stood, giant swords unsheathed, blocking the light beams on each hand with their swords. Those two were Ranger24 and X Prodigy

"RANGER!! X PRODIGY!!" Nearly everyone shouted in unison. One exception being Liberi, who let out a sigh of relief

"Perfect timing. I was wondering when you two would arrive" Liberi called out to the two swordsman

"Well we got lost after we seperated. I would've thought you'd have at least taken out one of its arms before I got here. You guys are useless without me around" Ranger mocked, showing annoyance in his voice

"Be fair Ranger, this thing's a tough cookie" X pointed out "hell, the fact we're not even cutting through his skin right now is pretty damn frightening"

"Good point" Ranger admitted "but unlucky for this bastard….he caught me in a bad mood!" Ranger growled, pshing forward with his sword, causing the PX-3 to falter

X laughed, before pushing hard with his sword too "when the heck are you ever in a good mood Ranger?!"

"Tar…gets..X Prodigy…Ranger24…" PX-3 said, pushing forward with both arms, hoping to crush both Authors with his hands

"Don't miss me out! Dynamic entrance!" said a voice from above the cyborg

PX-3 looked up towards the voice, but was met by a huge kick to the face by an unkown figure causing the cyborg to lose grip of both blades. Using this chance, Ranger and X Prodigy charged forward and swung at the cyborg

"TWILIGHT SLASH!"

"NIGHT SILENCER!"

Both super power slashes hit the Pacifista on the chest, and caused the cyborg to fly backwards, flying through the air and several feet from the two Authors. It laid there lifeless once again. The new figure landed between Ranger and X Prodigy, and stood looking towards the Pacifista

"NUKID!!" several authors shouted, running over to the three Authors in happiness, surrounding them and thanking them. Happy to see the three were okay, and grateful that they'd came in the nick of time

Ranger turned to Nukid, and grunted "about time you showed up, Nukid"

Nukid turned to him and shrugged "Sorry, I was entertaining an old friend who just happened to drop by. It's not like I didn't crawl here. Especially since you were dealing with a Pacifista"

"Paci..fista? Wait, so you know what this thing is?" Ranger growled. Pointing his sword towards Nukid "if this is all your fault, you're dead"

"You'll get chance for that later" X told Ranger, before turning to Nukes "if you do know what this thing is, do you know how to take this thing out?"

"I do" Nukid stated "I know the Pacifistas weakness"

"This thing doesn't have a weakness" D-Dude pointed out "no part of its body is weaker than the other. There's no weak spot on it"

"It does have a weakness, you'll have to trust me on that guys" Nukid insisted "listen, since Dark is missing, we don't have an official leader. I ask of all of you to do as I say for now, and follow my leadership for now"

Liberi nodded "since you seem to know what this cyborg is, you are perhaps best fit for now. What's your plan then Nukid?"

"Simple. Me, Ranger, X Prodigy, DW64 and Warlord-Xana will stay here and deal with the Pacifista. The rest of you, get far away from here as possible"

"WHAT?!!" Several author shouted. The rest just gave Nukid a puzzled look, like he was mad

"Nukes, are you crazy?! How can you four guys alone take on that thing?!" Phoenix demanded, finding it unbelievable

"Warlords power is crucial in order to restrain the Pacifista, while X, Darren and Ranger are the only Authors here not worn out from the battles. And me…" Nukid said, looking towards his open arms

"...I'm the only one with the ability to kill it. You guys have to trust me on this"

"do as he says, all of you" X stated "lately I've gained some destructive abilities. To be frank, you guys would just get in our way"

"........you better know what you're doing here Nukid" Liberi grumbled, taking from his pocket a earpiece and handing it to Nukid "this is small communicator that fits in your ear. If you five get into trouble, don't hesitate to call for help"

Nukid fitted the earpiece in, and gave Liberi a thumbs up "thanks man, I owe ya!"

".....Just don't die, any of you. The last thing this group needs is a funeral. All right everyone, let's go!" Liberi barked, and with that all but five Authors ran for the trees, away from the fighting and out of sight. As they ran, TLSoulDude ran next to Liberi and Mistress "do you really think we should've left them five alone?"

"Nukid said he had a plan" Liberi replied, rather emotionlessly "we've got to trust this plan, whatever it is"

"No offense , but Nukes is hardly the type to come up with plans, now is he?" D-Dude pointed out, running besides the two. However this earnt him a cold look from Dawn

"Don't mistake Nukid for an idiot D-Dude" Dawn said "don't forget, Nukid was once a high ranking Assassin"

"Dawns right. You don't know him as well as us two do" Liberi explained "Nukid is smart, down to earth, calm and loyal to his friends. And to be honest, sometimes I get the impression…." Liberi stopped, wondering what to say next

"…Impression of what?" TL asked

Liberi smiled "…I sometimes get the impression that when it comes to fighting, Nukid is a genius"

--

PX-3 slowly got back on its feet, only to be greeted with the five man team of Nukid, Ranger24, X Prodigy, DW64 and Warlord Xana, standing facing the Pacifista boldly

Nukid cracked his knuckles "all right guys, we're all that's left. If this plan is gonna work, i'm gonna need all four of you. If it's any surprise to you, I don't intend on calling Liberi and the rest for support"

"Just how I want it" DW smiled "I'm not the type of guy to put others in harms way"

"Same here. This is our fight" Ranger said, swinging his sword "we're the only Authors left still able to take this thing on"

"Hmm, let's just end this quick, so then we can focus on finding our leader, Darkmagicianmon" Warlord reminded

"Dark would get sad if any of us died, so make sure you watch your ass in this fight" X said, grasping his sword

"Yea….none of you die, or else I'll feel guilty about it" Nukid said, earning odd stares from his allies

"…why would you feel guilty?" DW asked, equally as confused as everyone else

"Because…" Nukid whispered, looking towards the PX-3. He looked at with open sadness and guilt, like he was to blame for its creation

"…even if it was only a little, I am partly to blame for the Pacifistas creation"

**…Yea, half way through this chapter I realised it would take one more. However, I WILL have it up in less than a week. If I don't, everyone gets to give me a free boot to the head!**

**What did Nukid mean when he said he was to blame? And can the five man team of Nukid, Ranger24, X Prodigy, DW64 and Warlord-Xana take PX-3 down once and for all? Stay tuned to find out!**


	8. Author Fighters Vs Pacifista PX3 Part 4

What is this?! An update in less than a week?! Sacrebleu!

Nukid: Ha ha! No boots to the head for me!

(Chuck Norris suddenly appears next to Nukid, and from his chin a third fist flies out, punching Nukid in the face and knocking him down instantly)

--

**The Pacifista Project…..a project started by the Marines head scientist, Dr. Vegapunk. The project was to create human weapons in the forms of huge, near indestructible cyborgs….**

**These cyborgs are all replicas of the original Pacifista, Bartholomew Kuma, though not one could ever defeat the truly invincible Kuma. Despite this, the Pacifista project was still a major success, for one Pacifista alone had the strength of an army, and near endless durability **

**However, the tale as to how these cyborgs come to be, and what is done to create them, is kept hidden from even Marine ears, for such a discovery would cause doubt in the World Government…. something they can never tolerate**

**Only a handful knows, ****that all the Pacifista, besides Kuma himself, are built from human corpses…..**

--

Nukid never liked the hours after a battle. The endless hours of waiting as marines gathered all soldiers and prisoners together in one place was a long one, especially at this size of a battle. And even when that was done, it would take hours befre they could ship everything and everyone onto the ship, and then there were the long hours to get back to base, and then there was the long hours in debriefing

To put it bluntly, Nukid hated all the long waiting, but he admitted it was better than getting shot at

The many marines that had survived thanks to the unexpected intervention of Bartholomew Kuma had settled down and were scattered in a large circle across the battlefield. Partly, so food and water could be much easily given to the soldiers since they were all near this scattered circle

However, it was more the case so that despite resting, they were keeping an eye on the prisoners who had surrended. Pirates and freedom fighters alike were kneeling on the ground, with their hands behind their heads. The near thousand of prisoners that survived were silent, not making even a cough or a grunt. Nukid noted how they all had the same expression

Defeated and devoid of hope, almost as if they expected to be dead soon….

Nukid sat, on the ground with his rifle nestled between his feet, eating the bread ration he had received. Jack had received some minor injuried during battle, so he as currently being tended to by the medics

As he ate, Nukid looked to his right, and saw in the distance a man Nukid had came to know quite well, the Vice Admiral he was serving under, Vice Admiral Momonga. Momonga was a well built man of average a man with a mohawk and a mustache. He wears the standard Marine uniform, consisting a pinstripe suit and a coat draped over his shoulders.

Momonga was a man Nukid had quickly grown to respect. He was strict with his surbordinates, but it was obvious he cared deeply for them. Rumor has it he was planning to have his force retreat before Kuma stepped in and defeated the whole enemy force

However, what was odd was who Momonga was talking to. He was by no means a soldier, or even a civilian on this island. He looked like a scientist, with a bright white coat and glasses on his eyes. He held in his hands a clipboard, and what Nukid thought to be an almost emotionless look

Nukid couldn't hear from this distance what they were saying, and it was hard for Nukid to imagine what they discussing. However, it probably didn't matter to him, so Nukid went back to his bread and water

"What is the meaning of this?! What do you mean I haven't "killed enough" enemies" Momonga snarled towards the scientist, who kept his emotionless face intact

"Before you and your soldiers setted off, we made it abundently clear to Head Office that we needed at last a thousand corpses for our latest project. Right now, we only have 300" the scientist explained, his voice as emotionless as his face

"Then go settle this with Fleet Admiral Sengoku. My mission today was to free this island from these pirates and tyrants, not needlessly kill people" Momonga stated sternly. At first the Scientist didn't react, merely rearraging the glasses on his eyes

"Vice Admiral Momonga" the scientist said "do you even know what your mission here today was? Do you really believe that your sole mission was to liberate this island? Why would one small, insignificant island full of fools be such a priority that whole fleet would be needed? The truth is Momonga, your mission was to obtain the material needed for Dr. Vegapunk. It is all explained in this letter"

The Scientist handed from his clipboard a brown letter to Vice Admiral Momonga. Momonga read it silently, but as he read lower and lower, his face became more and more alarmed

"….This is Sengoku's handwriting…..Fleet Admiral Sengoku has ordered this…." Momonga whispered, seemingly in disbelief, almost as if he could not believe what he had just read. After a silent few seconds, Momonga looked at the Scientist, and nodded

"Very well then. You'll have your corpses"

--

Upon Vice Admiral Momongas command, all able troops were ordered to stand to attention, while at the same time, tighten the circle around the prisoners they had formed, with not a single open spot

Momonga stood at the top of this circle, his hands holding onto the hilt of the sword he had stabbed into the ground, looking onwards towards his men and the prisoners. With a sigh, he spoke with a loud voice

"Men, when you signed up for the Marines, I have no doubt you did with the intention of keeping the peace the World Government has worked so hard to obtain. To purge this world of all its evil and tyranny, and protect the lives of the innocent" Momonga said to his whole crew. He did not shout, but still his voice radiated across the battleifield, who clearly by all soldiers

Many of the soldiers calmly nodded, agreeing exactly with what he said. Nukid was one of them. It was then however, that Momonga closed his eyes and sighed

"But men, to accomplish such a heavy burden….there will be times when you will question your actions, and wonder if this was the right thing to do. Today, I must ask you to do something you could all regret for the rest of your lives" Momonga stated firmly

"What's he….talking about?" Nukid whispered under his breath Jack, who had returned from sickbay, stood next to Nukid and narrowed his eyes

"I'm not certain Matt" whispered Jack "but I think I have a good idea"

"Men….I know what I ask of you today will be hard, and wil go against your ideals and beliefs, but this has been requested by Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself, and you all know what that means" Momonga asked rhetorically, to which many nodded

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku's orders….are absoloute" Nukid whispered

"Soldier, I ask you not to forgive me for makin you do this, and more importantly, I do not as you to forgive yourselves. All I ask men, is that you trust Fleet Admiral Sengoku's orders…and believe this is the right thing to do" Momonga asked of his men. Momonga then slowly let loose of his lodged sword, and pointed towards the tied up, defenceless prisoners kneeling down together in the centre

"Men….aim your rifles at the prisoners" Momonga ordered

The response was mixed. Some soldiers responded instantly, aiming at the prisoners without hesitation. More were slow to respond, looking around at the readied soldiers, Momonga and the prisoners in a array of confusion and disbelief, before slowly aiming too

Many just did nothing, to shocked or frightened to do so. Nukid was one of these people

"…Wh..what?…Why…why is everyone aiming at the prisoners?" Nukid asked, his face frozen in a mix of confusion and uncertainty

"It's pretty obvious why Matt" Jack said. He had been one of the soldiers to aim at the prisoners instantly

"But…but they surrended! Isn't it protocal to send prisoners to Impel Down?! We can't shoot at soldiers who have given up!" Nukid exclaimed, overcome with disbelief and horror at such an idea

"Matt…" Jack sighed, somewhat understanding Nukids problem "…I know this may seem wrong…..but it's like Momonga said…we've got to believe we're doing the right thing, and that we're doing this for a better tomorrow"

"The right….thing?" Nukid repeated. He cradled his rifle, which right now looked almost alien to Nukid. Slowly, Nukid lowered his right hand down the rifle, pointed the rifle towards the prisoners, and put his first finger lightly touch the trigger

"Ready…." Momonga said "Aim……"

"We're doing the right thing….." Nukid whispered under his breath "We're doing the right thing…. We're doing the right thing!…. We're doing the right thing! We're doing the right thing!!"

"FIRE!!"

--

PX-3 stood tall and imposing towards the five Authors still able to fight it. Nukid, Ranger24, X Prodigy, DW64 and Warlord Xana. All of them had carefully listened to Nukids story, and at the end, none had any words to say

Nukid sighed "there you have it. Me and every soldier that took part in that battle were ordered to kill soldiers who had surrended, soldiers who had admitted defeat and were willing to be punished for their crime…..and you know why we had to do this?"

Nukid looked up to PX-3, and pointed at the Goilath "so this fucking monster could be born. What we did…..was never to make the world less violent…..it was so The World Government would have just another killing device"

"……Nukid….I never realised…..the horrible things you've had to do" DW64 said, somewhat seeing his comrade differently

Under his mask, X Prodigy smiled "you'd never think, with how lazy and perverted he acts, that he's been through so much. I've always been amazed by how well you keep it all hidden"

"Hidden no longer" Ranger grunted "I'll agree, what you had to do was tragic and wrong….but now's not the time to start cutting each others wrists over it. We've gotta take this freak out"

Nukid laughed "you've always had a unique way of saying stuff Ranger, but you're right. Right now, we've got to focus killing this thing"

"Right….something not even the entire team couldn't do. So whatever plan you've got Nukid, it better be good" Warlord warned

"It'll work, but we've got to work together on this" Nukid stated "only I have the ability necessary to actually deal the killing blow, but to do so I need this monster to stay still….and, not trying to blow me to bits, and that's where you come into it Warlord Xana"

"Hmm? How so?" Warlord asked.

Nukid patted his shoulder "you're the only one who can actually keep this thing restrained. Your ability to take control of a persons body is matched only by your ability to take control of a machines, so taking control of a cyborg will be synch"

Warlord smiled and nodded "right. Though, I don't think it's just gonna let me walk up to it and take control of it"

"Of course not. That's where us gentlemen…and Ranger come into play. We'll bring this thing to its knees and give you a straight shot at its body. When you've got control of it, I'll bring in the final blow" Nukid explained

"What exactly is this final blow? What can you do that can actually stop this thing?" DW asked

"Oh, if you've seen me fight to near death, you'll know what move I've got hidden under my sleeves" Nukid replied. At this, X Prodigy eyes lit up, seemingly understanding what Nukid was planning

"Oh, I get it" X said with a quiet laugh "don't worry guys. What Nukes is planning is gonna work"

"How can you be so sure?" DW asked

"Trust me man…..i've fought Nukes to near death enough times to know what the bastard is talking about" X pointed out

"Well okay, I'll have to trust you on this" Ranger nodded, gripping his sword "but if this just turns out to only be a Boot to the Head…..I can't be held responsible for what I do to you"

Nukid nodded back "got it"

--

By now, the rest of the Author Fighters who had escaped away from the PX-3 were a safe distance across the forest, very near its edge. The Authors had decided to rest up and regain some of their strength

"Here Ross, drink up. You need your strength" Phoenix said, handing the Pokemorph a water bottle. Ross kindly accepted it, and drank nearly all its content

"Hey, why is it only Ross is getting water?!" Loon asked spitefully, to which Mistress and Phoenix responded with smashing the young fictorian over the head in unison

"Because Lunatic, Ross is our chance to get far away from here as possible" Mistress stated

"Hey?" Loon asked. D-Dude sighed at his young brother

"Bro, Roscoso has a quite frankly, amazing ability called Chaos Control. With it, he can teleport himself anyway in the world! That is, with one of his Life Auras" D-Dude explained

"So you see my young pupil, Ross needs all the energy we can give him if he wants to use Chaos Control to get all of us out of here. Even with the Life Aura, Ross needs all the inner strength he's got if he wants to get us all out of here" Airnaruto explained to his pupil

"Ohhhh…..wait, but didn't Liberi give Nukid that communicator so if they needed help, we could go and support them?" Loon pointed out

Liberi, who was leaning against a tree some distance away, heard this and sighed "truthfully, I knew from the start it was pointless of me to give him that communicator"

"Why's that Liberi?" Screamer asked as he sat nearby. To which, Mistress smiled and sighed

"If Nukid wanted any of us to help fight the Pacifista, he would've asked us to stay. Nukid has no intention on calling for us for help" Mistress explained

Mantis nodded "that's the kind of guy he is. He hates people getting involved in his fights. He always has been a reckless fighter like that"

"I don't think it's so much recklessness Mantis" Ross, who was sitting down sipping the water, spoke out "Nukid doesn't like to put other people-especially his friends- in harms way. He would always rather fight his fights alone, so that he knows only his life is in danger….I guess that's why he enjoys fighting me and X"

"Problem with him is…" Phoenix said, rubbing the back of her head "…I sometimes wonder if he really cares about his own life"

"Well, it's no secret to anyone that Nukids done things he regrets" TL pointed, before smiing confidently "but you see, he's got all of us relying on him to come back alive. For that, I don't believe he'll fail us"

"He won't" Jean nodded, standing up a pumping his fist into the air "I'd kick his ass if he died!"

For once, Liberi smiled and laughed, albeit silently "aye….Nukid, or any of them fighting right now won't die" Liberi looked towards the direction of the ongoing fight

"They've all got too many friends to come back to…."

--

Nukid, Ranger24, X Prodigy and DW64 charged forward towards PX-3, who had raised its left arm and was charging a light beam right towards them. Just before it fired, the four Authors split and dodged the blast by going left or right

DW64 had moved to his left, but then ran straight forward again towards the cyborg. DW64 jumped high into the air above the Pacifista, and wielding his Two-Barrel Shotgun, shot directly towards the PX- right shoulder

Being Shotgun bullets, they were slightly more effective, actually nudging the Pacifista and causing it to side step away from the shots. DW64 landed back on his feet, and quickly unloaded shot after shot towards the Pacifista

PX-3 was quick to respond, running forward and swinging its huge right fist directly down towards DW64, who managed to roll forward in time and dodge the fist, which instantly crushed the ground it hit

With its back turn for a split second, DW64 took a risky chance and ran forward towards the cyborg. Upon close contact, DW64 aimed his shotgun at the cyborgs face, literally touching it! With a pull of his finger, DW64 pulled the trigger, and the Pacifista was sent flying backwards, clasping his face in pain with his two huge hands

With his sword held back, Ranger charged mercilessly forward, twilight energy seeping around his sword and body. With a mighty push, he swung his sword forward

"TWILIGHT SLASH!!" Ranger roared, slicing the Pacifista right on his right rib cage. The clothe surrounding that part tore off, and to everyones surprise, a thin cut appeared. Ranger had done a seemingly near impossible accomplishment, and actually had cut its skin….albeit slightly

PX-3 fell back, just as shocked. It grabbed hold of the cut part, which sparked out electricity. As it looked down on its wound, it failed to noticed Nukid running up to its right side, and jumping in the air above it

"Rankyaku!" Nukid roared, spinning around and kicking three leg slices towards the Pacifista, all three hitting the cyborg, causing to fall back slightly and turn towards Nukid

Nukid however, would wish he hadn't turned towards him. For in the PX-3 mouth, was a readily charged beam of light, aimed right at Nukid

"…….shit" Nukid could only mutter, before the beam of light shot straight at Nukid at fast speeds, and would hit the Author in mere seconds

A gush of wind flew past Nukid from behind, and Nukid would realise that it was in fact the Devil sword Sparda flying past Nukids head! Sparda hit the light beam directly, and to much surprise broke thorugh it!

The sword broke through the whole beam, and hit the Pacifista straight in the mouth, lodging itself between its jaw in turn. Nukid turned around, and saw X Prodigy above him, slowly falling to the ground

"Stupid prick….where you be without me?!" X mocked, before offering Nukid his arm. Nukid smiled and nodded, grabbing X Prodigy's wrist, who in turn grabbed Nukids

While in mid air, X Prodigy spun around and literally threw Nukid directly at the Pacifista! While fyling towards it, Nukid span around so his feet were gong first, and upon contact to the Pacifistas face, stomped his right foot hard down on the edge of the sword

This caused not only Sparda to get even more lodge in, but it caused the Pacifista to lose its balance and fall to the ground! As it fell, Nukid stepped off and turned to Warlord "Now Warlord! Do it now!"

"Right!" Warlord replied, before running forward at top speed directly toward PX-3. Just as they meet, Warlords body began to change shape, into a long electrical current that quickly attached itself onto PX-3 body

Slowly, the current faded, and at first there was silence. Suddenly though, the cyborg began to move, and then

"**Nukid….it's worked….i've got control of his body….but whatever you plan….please hurry!…I can already…feel it fighting back…."** Warlords voice radiated, not from the PX-3 mouth, but almost from the body itself

"Good job Xana! Now look, the second I attack this thing, jump out! I can't have anyone dying on me!" Nukid ordered. Quickly, Nukid jumped back on top of the cyborg, and carefully walked up its body. He reached its upper chest, and stood directly over its heart

"If you're a cyborg…then no matter how much metal you've got….you've still got organs….you've still got a heart!" Nukid said, bding his back, and aiming both closed fists down, directly aimed at his heart

Of all times, Nukid seemed hesitant. He looked down at the PX-3, and whispered "are you the people I mercilessly killed that day….were your bodies really defiled and mistreated to such this extant…"

Nukid closed his eyes solemnly "I'm sorry….for everything I've done to you. Only know do I realise in that battle that you, who fought for your islands freedom from the oppressive World Government, were the real good guys"

"Please….don't forgive me. ROKOUGAN!!" Nukid roared

At once, an air like energy blasted out of Nukids hands, and directly went through the PX-3 near indestructable skin. In a flash, PX-3 head fell back, and gallons of blood pred out from internal injury. Warlord appeared just beside the cyborg, apparently escaping in time

Nukid continued to blast the attack directly at this heart, before slowly stopping his attack, and resting his hands. The Pacifista he stood on made little movment, moving its arm up slowly, and slowly holding the part where his heart would be

As gallons of blood poured out its nose and mouth, X Prodigy, Ranger24, Warlord Xana and DW64 appeared besides the near lifeless Pacifista

"I see…." DW64 said, his voice showing his amazement "Nukid knew attacks on its outside were near useless against this thing, so he attacked its insides directly"

X Prodigy nodded "that's right, and that's what the Rokougan is. An attack that completely ignores the opponents outside, and attacks the organs inside the body…I've been on the receiving end of a few of those…..not pleasant at all"

"Nukid aimed all its power directly at its heart, and that's where most of the attack hit….damn, its heart must've exploded!" Warlord stated

Ranger smiled and nodded "Gotta give ya credit kid, you actually came up with something half decent. Congrats"

"Thanks…" Nukid murmoured back. Nukid turned his attention to the near dead PX-3. PX-3 slowly raised its left arm towards Nukid, not touching him, but keeping it close

Before it died, PX-3 said one last thing…

"Targets.....win"

--

After their battle, the five Authors slowly walked backed, hoping to catch up with the already gone Author Fighters. Having contacted the hidden Authors and telling them their success, they agreed to wait for the five to catch and meet up with them. All five felt somewhat relaxed, feeling that the worst was over

How wrong they were…

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP

The sound of some clapping radiated across the forest. All five Authors stopped and tried to find the source of the clapping. They eventually found where it was coming from, from above, on one of the trees to their right

The one who was clapping however, made all five Authors skip a beat, and show faces of horror. It was a man, no, a monster that had became a symbolisation of pure and horrible insanity and evil

"Oldkid…." Nukid snarled, looking towards his Darkside counterpart. Oldkids irramovable smile looked down towards the Authors, still clapping his hands at them

"Bravo…bravo my Author friends. I must say you put on one hell of a show! The action! The emotion! The Fanservice!" Oldkid cackled

"When did anyone do anything perverted?" Warlord asked in confusion

"I think he means his kind of fanservice…blood and pain" X grumbled

"Correct! Point is, you guys should be proud! You were all just inspiring….espicially you Nukid.." Oldkid said slyly to his counterpart, leaning in close

"When you dealt the final blow into PX-3…..I swear you looked just like me"

"SHUT UP YOU FUCKING MONSTER!!" Nukid screamed, taking great offence to the point of pure fury "Geppou!"

"Nukid no!" Ranger tried to stop the assassin, but anger had taken over, and Nukid had jumped and charged directly at Oldkid

Nukid flew at super speed towards Oldkid, intending to break the Darkside skull to bits. Nothing was between him and the person he hated the most

"…Rankyaku!"

Suddenly, an air blad flew from Nukid left side, and narrowly missed the attacking Author. This did however, cause Nukid to fall back to the ground, and stare wide eyed towards the direction that attack had came

"A…Rokushiki.." Nukid whispered, shocked at the sudden attack

Oldkid silently cackled "As a believer in fair play, I should let you know all your friends are in just as much shit as you…..in fact…I would they are in much more shit than you five!"

--

"Feeling ready Ross?" Kitten asked Roscoso

"Nearly Kitten. Just a few more minutes, and I think I'll have enough strength" Ross assured

The group stood casually together, no longer fearing a Pacifista attack since it was dead. The only one who didn't relax was Liberi, who looked onwards toward the bushes diligently

"Something up Liberi?" Quill asked the Freelancer

Liberi sighed "Oh, it's not much. I just can't help but get rid of this chill I have down my spine. Probably nothing though, things should be oka…"

BANG

All Authors froze, recognising that sound. They knew, it was HIS footstep, but he had been killed?! There was no way…

"No way….it can't be…" Hikari whispered

Liberi growled "It is"

From the trees in front of the group, a Pacifista stepped into view. Imposing, large and merciless in look, it slowly walked up the group

"PX-2, about to engage. Targets: Author Fighters" the Pacifista said. It was then, D-Dude noticed something

"This Pacifista….it's not the same one we were fighting!" D-Dude gasped, followed by the many gasps of his fellow Authors

"He's right…it hasn't got a single scratch on it. It's completely new…" Mistress murmoured. All the Authors noticed too that hit had no marks, and all felt even more afriad

Liberi growled in frustration "retreat, all of you! We don't stand a chance against it now, so just run for it!"

No one argued. Everyone did a full 360 turn, and ran away from the new PX-2. They ran as fast as possible away from the cyborg, hoping to escape

But then, the inconcievable happened….

A second Pacifista appeared right in front of the Authors. A tatoo saying "PX-5" was on its neck, and like PX-2 it was brand new…

The Author Fighters could hardly take out one

But now there were two new Pacifistas……

…**.Dun…Dun…Dun….I really like to torture us, don't I? Stay tuned!**


	9. Run Away

Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy

--

Not a single Author could take their eyes off either of the new Pacifistas that had suddenly appeared. For what felt like several gruelling hours, the entire Author Fighter team had tried to fend off one of these cyborgs, but the Pacifista was only defeated through Nukids Rokougan, an attack that hit its organs directly

But now, two brand new Pacifistas stood upon them. On both their left and right, the Authors felt trapped in a cage as Pacifistas "PX-2" and "PX-3" stood menacingly towards them. Neither made a move at the group, but the Author were already too familiar with the robots to not fear them!

"There was….THREE OF THEM?!! We could hardly take out one!" Loon cried out

"When we faced PX-3, I figured it was just a one of a kind machine. But now…now there's two more" Phoenix whispered, summoning her keyblade

"That could mean….that could mean there could be even more Pacifistas waiting after these guys" Dawn theorised, something that made all the Authors grimace in fear

"Worse case scenario" Liberi murmured "there's hundred of these things waiting in line to kill us"

"A hundred?…" Mantis laughed nervously "we'd have better chance of living if we shot ourselves in the head"

"What are we gonna do though?!" Kitten asked out loud "we're all too tired to even fight one of them!"

Hurricanes Quill turned to Roscoso "Ross, how do ya feel?"

"I've….regained a lot of my strength" Ross admitted, grasping the Life Aura in his hands "I think I can use Chaos Control with the Life Aura"

"Seems like our only option is to run….for now" Liberi said, slowly walking close to Ross "concentrate on keeping them at bay. Don't let it hit you…and for Christ sakes don't get killed"

"What about Nukid and the others?" TL asked

"I gave Nukid that earpiece. I'll try to contact him when we're safe. We must put the majority over the minority. Hopefully the kids remembered to fit it in his ear" Liberi grumbled

PX-2 and PX-5 both simultaneously took one step forward, the ground shaking as they both moved. In an almost graceful movement, both raised their left arms in unison. Quickly, all of the Authors huddled quite close to Ross, so that no one would be lift behind

"Targets: The Author Fighters" both Pacifistas said, their arms charging with a yellow beams

"Now Ross! Before they attack!" Liberi ordered. Ross held his Life Aura into the air

"CHAOS CONTROL!!"

In a giant blast, a strange energy quickly engulfed all of the authors. In a split second, all of the Authors disappeared into thin air with the strange energy as well

Both Pacifistas stopped charging their attacks, and lowered their hands. For a moment they were silent, until they spoke in unison one sentence

"Targets….ran away"

--

The team consisting of Nukid, Ranger24, X Prodgy, DW64 and Warlord Xana stared directly above them, looking up at the Insane Darkside known as Oldkid. A moment ago, Nukid had charged at Oldkid in a fit of rage. He was intending smash his Darksides brains apart, but was stopped when a Rankyaku narrowly missed him

Ranger looked around the woods, trying to see where the attacker was "Where the heck is he?! Was that a Rankyaku?!"

"I thought the only people who used Rankyakus were CP9 agents, like Nukid" DW pointed out, he too trying to find the source of the attack

"Could…..could the CP9 be here too?" X Prodigy said cautiously. He knew from stories Nukid had told him just how powerful the CP9 were

"Impossible" Nukid replied sternly, slowing getting back on his feet "The CP9 are dead…..Luffy…..Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew destroyed Enies Lobby and The CP9"

"Oh yea…." X said in realisation "I remember when you first found out about that"

_**Flashback 1 year ago……**_

The sun was setting on Author Fighter HQ, but new member Nukid had not been seen at all that day, and some authors had began to worry.

X Prodigy easily climbed up to the top of the HQ, and what he had guessed was right. Nukid was sitting there alone silently. Even when he noticed X Prodigy, he did not say anything

"You know, this is bloody cliché" X pointed out "sitting on top of buildings when they're depressed"

"Well, most of you guys are acting depressed lately anyway" Nukid deadpanned

"after all, you guys suffered your first defeat not too long ago at the hands of Drake, Those Dark Yonkou…..and Oldkid……….I notice you don't seem depressed at all"

"Meh, I'll just kick all of their asses next time I see them" X shrugged, like it was nothing "and you say "you guys"….you're a part of the team as well you know"

"I found out last night during a quick trip to the Grand Line…" Nukid replied bluntly "….Enies Lobby…..my old team the CP9…..they'd been defeated"

X Prodigy himself was at first left speechless. He may have never seen the CP9, but he'd learnt enough to know that was considered almost impossible

"D…defeated…wow. Who beat them?" X asked cautiously

Nukid smiled "by my childhood friend….Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew, the Straw Hat Crew……….my best friend destroyed my former team-mates….I don't know what to make of it all"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, X Prodigy couldn't help but laugh, finding it amusing, and earning an odd stare from the assassin "what's so funny Hollow boy?"

"Man Nukes, you have one of the most fucked up life stories I've ever heard! Nothing about you is average….but, I think that's one of your more likeable points"

"Is that why you and I seem to hang out so much?"

"That, and I swear you're my twin brother. We seem to agree on nearly everything. You even admitted you liked Tobi and Hinata being together" X claimed

Nukid shrugged "I just go with the flow with that. But I suppose we do seem to be have a lot in common"

"Yea…." X said, sitting down as well "….but we don't share everything in common…..you should be grateful that you actually remember your past"

Nukid looked at X "you….don't remember your past, do you?"

"Nope" X sighed, slowly lifting his left hand and rubbing his mask "I don't remember my real name, what I did before I was a Hollow….Hell, I don't even remember what I did as a Hollow!"

Nukid sighed heavily "Sucks to be you….I suppose it could be worse for me…..so you don't remember anything?"

"Nothing"

"Have you ever tried to find out what you once were?"

"Not really. I'm more concerned with helping Sparda stop Yamato and those who use it once and for all….although" X said, looking up to the slowly darkening sky

"I admit….I sometimes wonder.…..what my life was like before I joined the Author Fighters. Something tells me in the back of my head….that there was someone I knew that was worth finding….but I just can't remember who. One day, maybe I'll look for my answers….and hey, maybe you can help out Nuk…."

X Prodigy stop midsentence when he looked towards Nukid, who during X Prodigys talking, had fallen asleep. Under his mask, X Prodigy's eyes twitched, as the Hollow Devil raised both Dawn and Dusk

"Fucking asshole…..DON'T FALL ASLEEP WHEN SOMEONE'S TALKING TO YOU!!"

_**End Flashback….**_

X laughed nostalgically "you were pulling out bullets from your ass for three weeks after"

"Don't remind me" Nukid growled, seemingly remembering that too

"Um…guys?" Warlord interrupted "Um….don't forget Oldkids right over there"

"Oh don't mind me!" Oldkid answered happily "besides, me and my friends have all the time in the world!…It's you guys who should be hurrying things up"

"And what's that supposed to mean? Who the fuck have you brought with you Oldkid?!" Nukid demanded to know

"Very well then Nukid. If you are so eager to see" Oldkid whispered slyly. The Darkside clicked his fingers, a click that seemed to radiate across the whole forest

From every direction, a thumping sound could be heard constantly. It was a sound they were all familiar with, since they had been to Konoha many times. It was the sound of dozens of people, jumping from tree to tree branch at high speeds

It was coming from every direction, and it was getting louder and louder by the second

"What the hell….who or what is making that noise?!" Ranger said cautiously, gripping his sword hilt tightly

Stomp! The first wave of people appeared around the five Authors. They were indeed people, but to be far more specific, they were all children no older than 18, all wearing black coloured clothes

"Kids? They'll all just kids our age" Nukid whispered, before looking back at Oldkid "and the way they're dressed…."

"Hmm….I see the memories are coming back to you Nukid. What are they then?" Oldkid asked playfully, further angering the Author

"They're…." Nukid growled silently, clenching his knuckles "CP9….students"

"Correct! Though, technically students no more. This is their first mission, and such a high profile mission at that" Oldkid laughed. He looked towards all the CP9 agents "and I expect great things from you all, do your best!"

"Yes, Sir Oldkid" all CP9 agents responded in unison

"Sir Oldkid….isn't that adorable?!" Oldkid said joyfully

"OLDKID!!" Nukid roared to his Darkside counterpart "Why….why have you got the CP9 with you?"

"Why you ask?" Oldkid said "well my dear Nukid, the saying "the enemy of enemy is my friend" explains this quite well"

"What?!" Nukid snarled. Suddenly, one agent dropped from the trees, and slowly walked over to the group, holding a combat knife in his hands

"Jack…" Nukid whispered, his former war friend Jack walked up slowly. A mad gin only beaten by Oldkid shined on his face

"Matt D. Monkey" Jack said, revealing Nukids full real name for the first time "you are charged with the death of 100 soldiers, who were loyally doing their job to protect the world from tyranny and evil"

"And Author Fighters…..for harbouring this criminal and letting him join your ranks….you are considered a threat to the World Government, and a true force of pure evil" Jack stated

"You've got some balls calling us the evil ones! Look in a mirror!" Ranger yelled back

Oldkid spread out his arms towards the CP9 members "CP9, I ask on behalf of my master, Drake Ebon Darkstar! What do you consider us Darksides?"

"Allies! Allies! Allies!" the CP9 agents chanted

"And what, prey tell, are the Author Fighters?"

"Criminals! Criminals! Criminals!"

"And WHAT, my dear friends, is the only way to get rid of these criminals?"

"KILL THEM ALL!! KILL THEM ALL!! LEAVE NO ONE ALIVE!!" The CP9 agents chanted loudly.

Nukid looked around, hearing the screams of his former team chant for his death.I they were demanding he death, Nukid wouldn't mind so much

But, they were also demanding his friends deaths. His friends….who were not involved in any of this….

"What….what I have done…" Nukid whispered to himself, dropping to his knees. Right now, he was regretting the last whole year of his time with the Author Fighters

"It's true then…." X mumbled "….Drakes crew….and The World Government….they're working together…"

"It appears so" Ranger nodded courageously, unsheathing his sword "but it just means we've just got more to cut down. If we hold out long enough we can…."

"No" Nukid cut off Ranger, slowly standing back up again "What we do, is run. We run as fast as we can, and we don't look back"

"Are you crazy?!" Ranger retorted "if we run they'll just come back some other time. We have to fight now and.."

"I SAID WE RUN!!" Nukid suddenly screamed at him. Every Author present was openly shocked, not just by the outburst, but his facial expression. Nukids eyes were almost mad, his body was shaking and his breathing was heavy

"Jesus….I've never seen Nukid like this before!" Warlord whispered to DW64

"I think…" DW64 whispered back "….I think, this is the first time I've seen Nukid…truly afraid of something"

X Prodigy was the one to break up the silence "I think we should do as Nukid says. He knows better than anyone about these guys"

"Thanks….X Prodigy" Nukid nodded, his voice a lot calmer, but the author was still shaking "but first, we need an opening, and a big one at that"

Under his mask, X smiled "I think I might be your man. Lately I've gotten a new power I wanting to try in battle. Stand back"

X Prodigy stood forward, and lifted his right hand and showed his first two fingers. He pointed them straight ahead, and slowly, a strong brightness engulfed the hand as X Prodigy charged his attack

"Wh…what is that guy doing?!" Jack asked with surprise "damn it, and we were about to attack them at once and fucking kill them!"

"Jack my friend" Oldkid called out to Jack "you might want to tell those agents in front of X Prodigy to move it…..or don't. I'm always up for seeing people get massacred"

"Shit" Jack growled "WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS WAITING FOR?! MOVE IT!!"

Instantly, the CP9 agents moved out of the way and to a safe distance. By this time, X Prodigy's attack seemed fully charged

"CERO!!" X roared, firing the blast from his fingertips. The four Author close to him found that everything in front of them was engulfed by a giant blast of energy, engulfing and destroying everything in sight

X Prodigy slowly halted the attack, until it was entirely gone. What was left after was a huge road, now devoid of any trees thanks to the huge Cero X Prodigy had created. A clear, open path for the Authors

"A Cero….A Hollow move…" DW whispered in shock. Nukid too showed open shock

"X…..since when have you been able to use Hollow moves?" Nukid asked his good friend

"No time for that! We've gotta run remember!" X Prodigy yelled back, showing no fatigue at all from the huge blast he had created

No one argued. At once all five authors ran at super speed away from gathered CP9, who thanks to the blast were all temporarily fazed and in confusion

"It's odd….why didn't they attack us before, when they had the chance?" Warlord asked as they ran

"Standard protocal. Don't attack unless given permission to" Nukid replied

"Right, but…why didn't those few CP9 agents run when X was aiming his Cero towards them?" DW asked

"……Standard protocal….don't run unless given permission to"

--

Back with the dazed and confused CP9, the only one who wasn't fazed or in confusion was Oldkid, who was still standing on his tree, looking towards the five Authors quickly running away

"My my X Prodigy……what a fascinating boy you've turned out to be…" Oldkid said "Almost as interesting as Nukid"

--

Jiro sat inside Castle Doran living room, reading a book while drinking coffee. Being a Werewolf, Jiro enjoyed fighting and getting his hands dirty. But, sometimes it was just nice just to sit by himself, reading a book and drinking coffee. Even a Werewolf needed alone time, and he was enjoying it right then

THUMP

Despite the huge thud he had just heard in Castle Doran living room, Jiro was slow to respond. Jiro slowly closed his book, got off his chair and turned to whatever had caused the thump

Jiro eyes twitched madly. Lying on the floor were more than half a dozen children, all tattered and bruised and making the clean Castle Doran look like a pigsty. Jiro looked ad saw MistressofDawn lying on the ground among them, and promptly walked up to her, kneeling down beside her

Dawn noticed Jiro right above, and laughed nervously "Hey Jiro….Hope you don't mind me and all my friends staying here for a while, do you?"

Jiro did not reply at first, looking at each author individually, before looking back down at Dawn and sighing

"Bringing your friends over to my home without my consent….yea, we're definitely a couple"

**And so, the attack on AF HQ is over, but the war is far from over. You could say this ends the first arc, and in a week, we will see the beginning of this stories next arc! Stay tuned…**


	10. The Next Step

Hey everyone……yea this one took three weeks. Sorry about that, holiday always give me writers block after. Enjoy

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

Oldkid leaned beside a tall tree, watching the CP9 agents run around like chickens, attending to various jobs that they were handling. After Nukid and his friends' rather explosive exit, the CP9 agents had been left dazed. None of them had expected such a gigantic attack from the Hollow boy, and nearly all the agents had been left frightened and on edge. Even Oldkid was surprised by the power X Prodigy displayed

Surprised…..in a good, curious way that is

Oldkid blamed the CP9 fear mostly on inexperience. They were used to dealing with opponents who could hardly fight against the Rokushikis, and they were used to dominating their targets with their superhuman abilities

Amateurs of the lowest calibre, without a doubt. They should've realised from the get go that when dealing with the Author Fighters, they weren't taking on near defenceless opponents. Truthfully, not one CP9 agent could go one on one with an Author Fighter and ever hope of winning

At least….not these grunts anyway. The "Special" CP9 Agents….oh that was a different story

Oldkid watched as a group of agents returned from his left side after searching the forest. After reorganising themselves, the agents quickly sent out teams to search the forest and locate any AF members present. Upon finding any, they would report back and the CP9 would attack, full force

The returning agents reported directly to the blood red haired Jack, being the officer in charge of the agents, but working directly for Oldkid. Oldkid noted how discouraged Jack looked by the information gathered from the agents

When the agents were finished briefing Jack, they saluted and walked off. Jack sighed, before making a sharp turn around and walking to Oldkid

"All search teams have now officially returned…….not a single one found any Authors. That bastard Matt and those with him have seemingly escaped the forest" Jack reported, his voice growling with anger and disappointment

Oldkid raised an eyebrow, while still keeping his smile "what about all the others? There were over a dozen Authors dear Jack, they should've been easy pickings"

"T..that's the thing Oldkid sir!" Jack replied "They're nowhere in sight! It's….almost as if they've vanished into thin air!"

"Hmm….vanished into thin air" Oldkid repeated, these words seemingly making Oldkid wonder about something

"Could it have been that Balance? Or maybe the Pokemorph…..my, so many Authors, so many possibilities" Oldkid shrugged casually. He stepped forward and patted Jack on the shoulder "you and your comrades did good today"

"Good? But….we failed! We didn't kill those bastards! Matt….he and his criminal friends escaped!" Jack retorted loudly. Oldkid shook his head calmly

"You fail to see the significance of what we accomplished. True, we didn't kill them, but….what did we lose?" Oldkid asked

"Well, we lost PX-3, but he's a Cyborg, so we can just make a replacement" Jack said, pondering as he spoke "besides that…nothing"

"That's right. Now, let me tell you a little story Jack" Oldkid said with a chuckle, wrapping his left arm around Jack neck casually "One year ago, the Author Fighters leader DarkMagicianmon was forced to make a horrible choice: Lose his whole team in an instant, or surrender an item that had the potential to slaughter many to my boss, Drake Ebon Darkstar"

"In the end, DarkMagicianmon chose to surrender the item, and save his friends. You should've seen his face Jack, it was so sad and pitiful!" Oldkid laughed "this marked the Author Fighters first ever defeat!"

"I see. And how does this connect to our mission?" Jack asked

Oldkid chuckled "today Jack….we made the Author Fighters run with their tails between their legs! The Author Fighters, a head strong group that never back down, even they knew they were simply not strong enough to fight us"

Oldkid released his arm and walked in front of Jack, looking him straight in the eyes "now do you see Jack? Even though their blood is not on the ground, we have given them something that could easily break them down and make them easy pickings"

"We have given them fear….."

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

When the CP9 agents had finished their various duties and were certain no Author was in the near vicinity, the CP9 agents were ordered by Oldkid to gather together and form around the Darkside, who seemed ready to give a speech

"CP9 Agents!" Oldkid said with a loud voice "you have done excellent work today! Today, we have hit them when they felt safe and strong, and proven just how venerable they are!"

"They know my friends" Oldkid chuckled slightly "they know we're out there, out for their blood, and like a pack of merciless wolves, we won't stop till we're satisfied that they are no longer a part of this world! What do we want?!"

"Their Blood! Their Blood! Their Blood!" the CP9 agents chanted

"Excellent….our work is far from over gentlemen. The Author Fighters are hiding, biding their time, and collecting their thoughts. We need to find them….and strike them down while we can" Oldkid stated

"They will not have gotten far gentlemen. Don't forget, we have their leader in our hands. While they may be fools to dare go against the World Government…..they are not cowards. I highly doubt they've left the country" Oldkid claimed

"But, bravery is just real stupidity when facing The World Government! We will strike them down wherever they are, and we kill them…one….by one" Oldkid preached maliciously

"If you see MistressofDawn, bring her race even closer to extinction. If you see PhoenixoftheDarkness, show her she's not a real phoenix by killing her and never coming back! If you come across Snake Screamer, stamp your foot on his neck like you do with all snakes! You see Iron Mantis, squish him like the insect he is! If you see Jean Kazuhiza, kill him in a way befitting to his love of wrestling!" Oldkid preached

"If you see DW64, put that mercenary out of business! If you see Agent Liberi, give that aged soldier the death he's been evading all his life! If you see Warlord Xana, dethrone him of such a high-ranking name! If you see Hikari Ino, make sure you catch her final moments so we can recite them to DarkMagicianmon…."

"If you find Kitten Hachi-Chan, become true dogs and hunt down your rival! If you come across the Fictor Brothers or even Roscoso, slay them like the monsters they are! And if you come across Ranger24…..well, congrats to whoever manages to take out their strongest warrior"

"Stab them, beat them, impale them, shoot them, slice them, drown them, suffocate them" Oldkid rehearsed "I don't give a fuck how you do it! JUST KILL THEM ALL!!"

"YEA!!! KILL THEM ALL!! KILL THEM ALL!! KILL THEM ALL!!" the CP9 agents chanted, over and over. Oldkid breathed a sigh of relief, partly proud he had inspired such murderous intent in these young lads

Partly, because he felt that was a speech that could make The Major proud……

"Oh, but don't kill Nukid" Oldkid suddenly added. Nearly at once, all the chanting stopped, and all the agents stared strangely at Oldkid

"…………….Excuse me? Did you say "Don't kill Nukid?" Jack asked, in disbelief of what he'd heard

"Indeed! Don't kill Nukid. Leave his execution in my hands" Oldkid ordered casually "oh and if you can, keep that X Prodigy alive too. He is a most fascinating Author, and someone i would like to learn more about"

Oldkid could see it, the disappointment in their at hearing this, hearing they could not kill the much despised traitor, though....they seemed relieved not to have to fight the Hollow. Believe it or not, Oldkid felt slightly bad. Bad that he was taking away someone's privilege to take another's life

But no, only Oldkid could be the one to kill Nukid. No one could take that away from Oldkid…..

While most of the CP9 agents seemed reluctantly prepared to accept this, Jack did not "are you out of you fucking mind Oldkid?!"

"…….Many people have told me that I am"

"Don't play dumb! Killing Matt is OUR responsibility! We came here for his head especially! We need our revenge on that traitor" Jack demanded. Oldkid sighed, shaking his head

"I understand dear Jack, you want your revenge. But there's something you don't seem to realise" Oldkid said softly "for you, fighting Nukid would be ten times harder than fighting any other Author"

"Why's that?" one CP9 agent in the crowd asked

"Tell me, what would happen if a swordsman with only a weeks experience took on a swordsman with 60 years?! Complete and bloody defeat my friend. While none of you can take an Author on one on one, in groups your Rokushikis and superhuman strength could be enough to overpower them individually"

"Nukid however, not so lucky. Your skills are his skills, only his are on par with that of Rob Lucci. It would take all of you here together to take him out alone, and I honestly don't expect you all to survive your fights with the AF" Oldkid admitted

The CP9 agents couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Not so much because they all wouldn't survive- they knew this was always a possibility in a battle- but more because they knew Nukid was on par with Rob Lucci. That was more than enough reason to believe what Oldkid was saying

Despite this, Jack was not content. He stepped forward close to Oldkid "have you forgotten everything I went through to get this far?!! Do you know how any nights I couldn't sleep because of my desire to kill Matt! I don't care who orders it, I want…"

Jack had no way of dodging it. In less than a second, Oldkid had hold of Jacks neck, and with a tight squeeze with his hands, lifted the agent into the air, choking from the Darksides unbreakable strength. The CP9 agents jumped at the sudden attack, but not one dared go help

"I don't give a flying fuck what you want, CP9 agent Jack The Ripper. Nukids death will be by my hands….nothing will take that privilege away from me" Oldkid growled slowly. Oldkid was smiling still, but his smile was smaller, still, angrier than usual

"..Eee…gah.." Jack squirmed in his grip, unable to break it. After a few slow seconds, Oldkid released his grip, and Jack fell to the ground, coughing loudly as he got his breath back.

Oldkid kneeled down, and patted Jacks shoulder. Jack couldn't help but feel freaked out by Oldkid wide smile. The anger that was once evident in his face, was now gone and replaced with Oldkids usual playful, happy smile

"Now Jack, I'm trusting you with handling how you search for the Author Fighters. It'll be a tough job, but I have high expectations of you!" Oldkid proclaimed happily

Oldkid stepped back up, and suddenly started walking away from the CP9 agents. When he was far enough, he clicked his fingers. A dark hole suddenly engulfed the air to Oldkids right, a dark portal to another location

"Good luck to all of you! Search high and low, and remember, a world without Author Fighters is a world with less criminals!" Oldkid waved to the agents

"YES SIR!!" all the CP9 agents- besides Jack who was still on the floor- shouted, standing to attention and saluting

With a cheery smile, Oldkid stepped inside the portal, and once fully inside, the portal closed on itself, leaving the area completely

When he knew he was gone for certain, Jack slowly stood back up, rubbing his aching neck. He looked towards where Oldkid once was, perplexed by what had just occurred

"That man….that monster….his desire to kill Nukid might be as great as my own"

The opposite end of Oldkids portal opened in the centre of a gigantic, but old-fashioned room. The room was dark, completely made from grey stone and brick like a medieval castle. The room was almost empty as Oldkid entered

Except, for the one big chair at the end of the room, and the person occupying it, or rather, the Darkside

"Good to see you back, Oldkid" the low voice of Oldkid said as Oldkid stepped through the portal, and then closing on itself

Oldkid gave a quick wave to his master "good to be back master! The place is as bleak as ever, and I still wonder whether you're actually able to get off that throne of yours!"

Drakes eye twitched "I see you're as witty as ever. Well, no matter. How did the World Governments attack on the Author Fighters go?"

"It was as we expected, the Author Fighters were like ants trying to fight a T-Rex! In the end, even they saw it as futile" Oldkid explained

"And, what did they do? They're not the type to just lie down and play dead"

Oldkid shrugged "no clue master, they escaped before we could kill them. But, I assure you my master, The Author Fighters have been rattled with fear and disbelief. They have lost their leader, and they are disorganised and unsure of what to do. They're too busy worrying about the World Government to attack us head on!"

"Excellent" Drake chuckled, indeed very pleased with this "you have done well Oldkid. It's…..somewhat embarrassing to think you've done in one try what took me several years to do"

"Pfft, don't think of it like that master. Now is not the time to celebrate though" Oldkid pointed out slyly "now, we can move onto the next stage"

"Yes……" Drake nodded. Bending down, he reached for under his seat, and grabbed hold of two big, squares rocks with writing on each one

"The Two Stone Tablets…." Drake whispered, holding the tablets carefully, almost lovingly "these things….are the greatest thing to ever happen to me. With these things…..I have done so many great things!"

"The first stone Tablet, which gave me the ability to create Manufactured Darksides, Darksides completely loyal to me" Drake said

"The ability to create life…..with this tablets alone, I had already reached god status" Drake then placed the second stone tablet above the other, looking down on it

"And now, the second stone tablet….the location of Rasets very own fortress….the world that he created with his bare hands. The Noahs Ark!" Drake preached loudly, holding the tablet in the air

"I'm so close…..so close to becoming the next Darkside king….the next true god of our race! All I need is the Third Stone Tablet" Drake explained

"And where, prey tell, is the Third Stone Tablet?" Oldkid asked curiously. Drake smiled, showing the writing on the Second Stone Tablet towards Oldkid

"Inside the Ark" Drake revealed "The third Stone Tablet, the holder of the most powerful of Rasets secrets. It's with that I will truly become like him"

"Let me guess, the ability to merge with hundreds of peoples Darksides, becoming a "King Class" Darkside, correct?" Oldkid asked

"No" Drake replied "while Rasets did do that, that was only a part of the whole spell he created"

"Part of…..then waste no time master. Do tell, what is the rest?!" Oldkid asked, openly intrigued

Drake sighed "I only realised this when I read the scriptures on the Tablets. When you think about it, merging with a hundred Darkside-while making you powerful- will not make you a god"

"But….Rasets did more…than just merge with a few hundred Darksides"

_**Flashback, several hundred years ago….**_

Hekaishi, a blondish haired Darkside with a tunic worn on his body stood on a platform in a gigantic, but very dark room. Hekaishi had his eyes closed as he recited a spell in a mystic tongue

Around the platform, were several cages that held prisoners, ranging from young to old, male to female. They screamed at Hekaishi to let them go, afraid of what the Darkside was planning

They say that before he became Rasets, Hekaishi was a researcher. He studied for several years to discover the true "essence of darkness"

"We shall merge….as one" Hekaishi said as he clapped his hands

Almost at once, all the caged men and women began to scream in agony, falling to the ground. A dark, shadowy figure without any human appearance seeped out of each human, and almost immediately got sucked straight into Hekaishi

All the humans died from this….the pain of having their Darksides forcibly removed to killed them all on the spot

In a matter of moments, Hekaishi's body became the one feared by those who remembered. The scaly, one eyed, mouth less creature Rasets….

"I am strong…." Rasets muttered, but seemed discontent "but I am not strong enough"

_**They say….that he searched for a way to control it himself, because he was not satisfied with being just a "servant to darkness"….he wanted to rule it**_

We see Rasets, in the same room as before, muttering again with his eye-well one eye- closed, only this time in English

"**Lust, I lust for the control of Darkness" Rasets muttered**

"**Gluttony, I have no limit to how much darkness I desire"**

"**Envy, I envy those beings that claim to be gods"**

"**Sloth, I feel truly unawake as I am, without control"**

"**Greed, I will take complete control of the darkness and give it to no one else"**

"**Wrath, I will strike down all who dare oppose my rule over it"**

"**Pride, I will be proud of all the madness and carnage I create upon this universe" **

"**My soul is irredeemable. I have sinned and I am proud of it…."** Rasets enchanted **"…I belong in the darkness, but I do not belong as just a servant" **

"**I demand....complete control!!"**

End Flashback….

"…….That's it Master?" Oldkid asked, caught off guard "how did Rasets do it? How did Rasets gain control of the darkness? How did he become a god? This isn't the Sopranos master, you can't finish mid sentence!"

"I wish I knew Oldkid, but unfortunately, that mystery is only known to those who've seen the Third Stone Tablet" Drake sighed "We can say for certain Rasets did it successfully, and he left that secret for us in Noahs Ark. And now…we just need to get inside the Ark"

"They say Rasets could open it with a snap of his fingers….doubt it'll be that easy for us" Oldkid said with a casual sigh

"No. I've read the Second Stone Tablet. If we're to open the door, what we need is a sacrifice of Chakra"

"Sacrifice of Chakra, you say? How much?"

"A lot, suffice to say neither you or I together could be enough. No, we need much, much more. And that's where you come into play, or rather…you're team" Drake said with a smile

Oldkid bowed "The Society of Shadow will follow your orders obediently. I can guess what you're asking of us. Find enough people to sacrifice Chakra to open the gate. Simple enough"

"Good. I'm sorry to give you such a crappy job" Drake apologised "it'll be annoying, searching and capturing hundreds of people just for this"

"Hundreds? My my Drake, you think far too simply!" Oldkid laughed at his master "rather than capture lots of mediocre fighters….we'll just capture people with gigantic charkas!"

"…And, how many people will that be?" Drake asked. Oldkid grinned as he showed the number with his fingers

"Just three"

After his meeting with Drake, Oldkid had used the dark portal to arrive at his very own base

Or rather, the base of The Society Of Shadows…..

Oldkid entered straight inside the base, and entered the first door he was closest to. Oldkid had no time to waste, so he had intentionally teleported there directly

When Oldkid entered the room, he found himself in a completely dark room, with the only light coming from the lights outside the room. The room itself however, held not only a plain bed

But, a Black, Raven-haired boy sleeping under its covers…….

Several machines surrounded the bed, like the boy was in a critical condition at a hospital. What was most strange about all this however, was not the machines or the wires connected to the boys' body

It was the thin, silver mask that covered his eyes….

"Don't you ever knock?" the boy grumbled, showing he was awake, and he sounded somewhat grumpy. Oldkid chuckled as he entered the room, closing the door behind him

"How did you know it was me?" Oldkid asked curiously

The teen yawned "your footsteps, I could tell by your footsteps. I've been able to distinguish people by their footsteps for a while now"

Oldkid nodded "seems like the treatment has worked. Your senses have certainly been enhanced. It's time to put the rest of you to the test"

"If this is just beating up some grunts, no thanks. Orochimaru did that all the time, and it got boring after a while" the teen grumbled as he began resting on his side, looking away from Oldkid

"Believe me, I am not that cruel" Oldkid laughed "no….this is the real deal"

At first, the teen was still. After a few deadly quiet seconds, the black haired teen turned towards Oldkid "you mean…..it's time?"

"Yes…..Drake has ordered me to capture a few, rather powerful individuals for his next plot, and guess one of the people I've chosen to hunt down?" Oldkid asked rhetorically

"You mean….I can have my revenge?" the raven-haired teen asked, almost excitedly. He lifted his body up, showing the silver mask that covered his eyes, but there was no mistake as to who the person was

"Make him bleed, make him cry in pain, make him regret what he did to you" Oldkid assured, patting him on the shoulder

"…Just don't kill the boy, Sasuke Uchiha"

**The first SOS member has shown himself! Who is Sasuke after? How is he alive after AF: MK, and how has he gotten stronger? Stay tuned to find out**


	11. Nukids Bad Day

Hey everyone. Here's another chapter. Enjoy

* * *

Nukid woke up to the smell of smoke. He slowly got up, feeling aches across his body, like he'd just been in some recent battle, a battle he couldn't seem to remember

When Nukid regained his senses, he realised that he was lying outside; on the muddy ground, and to his left a huge blaze engulfed his sight. Nukid turned to the blaze, a massive blaze it was, towering over the assassin in a giant, burning pile of rubble of some destroyed building

It took Nukid a few seconds to realise the familiarity of the area, and the scene in front of him which…. for some odd reason had happened frequently ever since Nukid had joined

"Author Fighter HQ?" Nukid whispered to himself, surprised to find himself in front of building. Nukid couldn't help but wonder why the building had been destroyed like this. But then, it hit Nukid with a sense of dreaded familiarity

"The Pacifista.…." Nukid whispered with a slight growl. He now remembered exactly what had happened. The World Government, the new CP9, the Pacifista, Oldkid…..he remembered what had happened

And now, he couldn't help by feel afraid for himself….or his friends

"This isn't right…" Nukid whispered suspiciously "…I remember, I was running through the forest…with Ranger, X Prodigy, DW and Warlord….what the heck am I doing here?!"

"I have found you, former Assassin Nukid"

Words couldn't describe the jolt of fear that coursed through Nukids whole body, fear from the mere loud, emotionless voice that boomed across the whole area. Nukid knew this voice well. The same voice that had scared him once before, when he was a child on the battlefield

Slowly, Nukid turned to the figure, further confirming he suspicion, his worse fear "Bartholomew…..Kuma"

Bartholomew Kuma, the gigantic cyborg that looked like every other Pacifista, up to the same long black hair, black and white clothes and emotionless face, stood towering over Nukid like an unbreakable wall

"I see you remember me. It would be rather odd someone of your former position in the World Government not to know me by appearance alone" Kuma replied emotionless, making the ground shake as he walked forward "I have no time for simple talk. Sengoku wants this mission done quickly"

"No…" Nukid trembled, stumbling back as Kuma moved forward "my friends….where are my friends?"

"You mean your fellow Author Fighter members?" Kuma asked, his voice showing no sign of emotion, no hint towards his previous actions

"I killed them all"

For Nukid….everything seemed to stop, the wind, and the fire from the destroyed Author Fighter HQ, everything seemed to halt when he was told that they were dead. Nukid felt his body shiver, despite it not being cold. His breathing became much heavier, tears welled up in his eyes as small groaning sounds escaped his mouth

They were dead….everyone he'd grown to care about in his team….dead

"I can tell what you want to do" Kuma stated "you want to say things like "no, that isn't possible" or "I'm lying. My friends would never die so easily"…..but you know deep down what I'm implying is not only possible, but almost certain….You know deep down your friends are dead"

Nukid wanted to say something, anything to shut him up! But Kuma, was dead correct in everything he said, it was almost as if he could read his mind

Deep down, Nukid knew. Author Fighters vs. Bartholomew Kuma? The Author Fighters stood no chance of winning

"You….you bastard…." Nukid growled, which quickly turned into a sob. Nukid held his left hand over his eyes to cover his crying eyes, sobbing as Kuma moved closer

"I had nothing against your team-mates Nukid. I harboured no hatred, no ill will towards them…" Kuma began speaking

"…Shut up…"

"I know the World Governments tendency to act mercilessly. I did not see your friends as villains or enemies to the World Government like it was made to believe"

"Shut up"

"But Nukid, I sold my life and everything I am to the World Government. I may sometimes show mercy to some, but to someone like you, who murdered a hundred soldiers in cold blood, I can give no mercy to"

"I said shut up"

"And the Author Fighters, who despite their good intentions, willingly harboured a criminal like you. If they had not know of your previous sins, I may have spared their lives…" Kuma ranted, raising his hand to show his hand, which had a strange paw like shape across it

"…But, they let you into their team, knowing full well you were a murderer and a traitor. I could give them no mercy either"

"SHUT UP!! JUST SHUT UP!! YOU FUCKING TOOL!!" Nukid shouted, unable to hear anymore of his talking. Despite all common sense, all knowledge Nukid had of Kuma, he ran at they cyborg, intent on killing the Warlord for his dead friends

Casually, Kuma tapped the back of his right leg, and disappeared

A split second later, he reappeared and was standing right behind Nukid…..

Nukid was about to express his disbelief, with some comment such as "no way!" "how?!"…but Nukid had no disbelief. He knew full well what Kuma could do, only his anger had caused him to forget about his invincible power

Bartholomew Kuma, who had eaten the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi Fruit, had the power to push anything, whether it be his opponent, air, even himself to any location, at the speed of light

Emotionlessly, Kuma held up his paw above Nukid, ready to swing it down like a Vulture ready to attack its prey

"This is goodbye"

* * *

"Aah!!" Nukid gasped, violently jolting upright. His body was sweating and his breathing was heavy. He felt like he'd just stared death right in the face.

After a moment of panting, Nukid realised he was no longer at HQ, nor was there any sign of Bartholomew Kuma around. Nukid actually found himself lying on a brown sofa in a flat, with a blanket covering his body

With his senses back, he realised where he really was. This was Sofia Scotts home. Sofia, the sister of deceased CP9 assassin Maria, and one who was very dear to Nukid when he was working for the World Government

And she died, because of Nukids ignorance….

After coming to this Earth, the two kept close to each other, especially when they were being hunted by the Zodiacs for the second stone tablet. After that fiasco was over, Sofia moved in this flat and studied Archeology, being one herself

And Nukid, being the gentlemen he was, kindly asked that him and his friends hide in her flat while they wait for contact from the others. Nukid rubbed his left eye, which for some reason black. Though why this was Nukid did not remember

Then he remembered. For causing her all this trouble, she punched him in the eye

Shrugging it off, Nukid stepped off the couch, standing besides his fellow Authors, all sleeping on the floor. Nukid was careful to step over them as he made his way to the kitchen, not wanting to wake them up

"N..no Tifa….not there"

Nearly tripping, Nukid thought he'd woke one of them up. After a moment of quiet, no one woke up, so Nukid continued on to the kitchen

When he reached the kitchen door, he could hear a sizzling noise from the other side. Slowly, he turned the door and opened the door. He immediatley saw Sofia, holding a frying pan over a grill as she seemed to be making an Omelette

"Um…I don't like Omelettes" Nukid pointed out. Not the best way to start a conversation, but this was Nukid after

"………" Sofia said nothing, not even looking up from the grill. This made Nukid even more uncomfortable

"Listen….I'm sorry we asked you to put us up like this Sofia. I know this must be annoying for you" Nukid said, scratching the back of his head embarassingly "trust me though, as soon as we get a call from the others, we'll be out of your hair soon. I know it's all a pain, but we'll be gone so.."

"YOU IDIOT!!" Sofia shouted, swinging the omelette filled frying in Nukids direction, and therefore sending the boiling omelette…….straight into Nukids face

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!" Nukid screamed, falling to the ground and rolling around as the omelette burnt his face. Despite eventually getting it off, Nukid still rolled around on the ground in agony

"Y..you bitch!!" Nukid snarled as he rubbed his burnt face "what was that for?!!"

"You honestly think THAT'S why I'm angry?!" Sofia growled at him "Damn it Matt! I'm not even angry at you!"

"Th…then who are you angry at?…….is it X Prodigy? Because I'll totally kick his ass if you want me to" Nukid offered, resulting in a kick to the stomach by Sofia

"I'm not angry at any of you!" Sofia insisted "I'm angry….I'm angry at the World Government!…..Why Matt…why are they after you now…..w..why won't they leave us alone…"

Nukid looked at her, and felt unable to be angry anymore. He got up, and held her by the shoulders, before hugging her tight

"I don't know…" Nukid said sadly "….I thought when we left our own Earth and came here, they couldn't look for us…..But they can….and they'll hunt me down no matter where I go"

Nukid let go of her, but stared her in the eye "but they probably don't know you're here as well. You won't get hunted down like me, so I'm not getting you involved"

"You think that's gonna make me feel any better?" Sofia said sarcastically, but she said it with a smile. Nukid smiled back

"Not really" Nukid replied. Suddenly, a screeching noise ringed through his right ear, practically hurting the assassin as he clasped his ear. He found-to which he had forgotten- the earphone communicator Agent Liberi had given him before they left

_"Calling Nukid. It's me Liberi. Are you there Nukid?"_

"Liberi!" Nukid replied happily, relieved to hear his voice "where are you guys?"

_"You're to the point Nukid. Aren't you gonna ask if everyone's okay?"_ Liberi asked from the other side

"Tch, like you guys are gonna die that easily" Nukid said "are you safe where you're hiding?"

_"We are. We thought of an excellent place to hide, where your old friends may not be able to find anytime soon. We can send Ross to get you all over here, though……you may not be fond of it"_

"Liberi, we're in the middle of a crisis here. My former government is hunting us down, and our current hideout won't be safe for long. Wherever you're hiding, I'll accept it and put any disdain for it behind me"

_"That's good then. We're currently hiding in Castle Doran"_

"…………………………………………………What?"

"_We're hiding in Castle Doran. Since teleportation is our only way into Castle Doran, it is a perfect place for us to hide our team."_ Liberi explained

"You……of all places…..you choose…..to hide there? Especially……Where HE lives?!!" Nukid growled, breathing loudly, like he was trying to keep an eruption of anger inside

"Are you okay Matt?" Sofia asked concerned "you sound like you're hyperventilating!"

"………_Who is "he" Nukid?"_ Liberi asked

"Don't play dumb! How can you send Dawn and everyone else to Castle Doran when Jiro lives there?! Jiro…..that bastard…who knows what horrible and slightly erotic things he might Dawn while he's there!!" Nukid snarled

_"Oh god Nukid…not this again……"_ Liberi groaned. You could imagine his face looking annoyed right now _"Nukid, Dawn and Jiro are dating. Why are you so against it?"_

"Because I don't trust that fucking werewolf!" Nukid spat "the minute I first met him, I knew he was trouble, and when I heard he was dating Dawn, I knew he was up to no good"

"…_.Nukid, you're close to Dawn right?"_

"She's like a sister to me"

_"And you know how strong she is, right?"_

"Sure. She's kicked my ass more than once"

"_So, I'm sure she can look after herself. I think you're just being overprotective" _Liberi theorised…. the rather obvious

"No I'm not!" Nukid denied "granted, I won't deny I'll go to…reasonable lengths to make sure she's okay"

"_Nukid……when you found out they were dating, you tried to castrate Jiro"_

* * *

"Does it…..hurt there?"

"Yea….more to the left though" Mantis instructed as Riki pressed down on his back with his heavy, rough fingers. Mantis laid on Castle Dorans huge table as Riki gave him a massage to help heal his aching back

Riki was the sole surviving member of the Franken Race, like how Ramen was the last of the Merman Race, and Jiro of the Wolfen race. He was a tall, black haired man who spoke in a slow, deep voice and served as the butler for Castle Doran

"How about…..there?" Riki asked

Mantis nodded "Okay, I think you're near where it hurts. Just a little more and…"

CRACK

Riki stopped at the crack, looking towards Mantis "Did I…..get it?"

"…..Yea…..you got it….."

As Riki did this, Ramon was kneeling down beside TLSoulDude, shining his shoes. Though, the Fictorian did not seem too happy about this

"Um….I said it was okay. My shoes are fine as they are! They don't need shining" TL insisted to the Merman, disguised as a young boy in a school outfit

"Oh I'm not doing this for your benefit" Ramon said cheerily "you're in my house, so you're not walking around with dirty shoes!"

"Oh……okay then" TL nodded, puzzled by the odd boy posing as a Merman

Besides Mantis and TL, the only other Authors in the main living room were MistressofDawn, Agent Liberi and Roscoso. Liberi had recently just came in, having spoken to Nukid through the communicator

"I spoke to Nukid, and everyone's fine. He's pissed he has to come here, but he'll come" Liberi explained, before sighing, "they're at Mrs Sofia Scotts home"

"Thanks Liberi" Dawn nodded, turning to Ross "you better go pick them up Ross"

"Allright. Be back in a minute" Ross said, holding a Life Aura in hand. He raised the Aura in the air "Chaos Control!"

With a blinding Flash, Ross teleported out of the room, leaving Dawn and Liberi alone "What are we gonna do about those two? This is hardly the time for those two to act like children"

"I know, I know. It's all hard on me you know" Dawn pointed out with frustration "one of them is my boyfriend, the others like a brother to me. I just wish Nukid wasn't so protective"

"I heard about what he nearly did to Jiro…" Liberi grumbled "….I heard he nearly tried to do that to Quill as well"

"He said it was for protection, so I let him off with just a punch to the face" Dawn sighed "that reminds me….we haven't explained what happened to Jiro yet"

"True. I'll go…..wait" Liberi stopped, pondering silently for a moment before smiling "Dawn, I don't think Nukid and Jiro will be any trouble this time"

"Oh really? What makes you think that?"

"If there's anything they'll agree on, it's that they want you safe" Liberi explained "if we explain the situation to Jiro-but DON'T say it was Nukids fault- Jiro will be grateful to Nukid for saving you and the rest of us"

Dawns eye lit up with hope "that's a good idea! We've just got to make sure Jiro doesn't find out it was Nukids fault!"

As they were talking, the living room door opened and in came Lunatic121, striding in as he walked over to Liberi and Dawn "hey guys! What're you talking about?"

"Oh, just how we're gonna explain this to Jiro" Dawn said

"Heh, you guys don't need to worry! I've already explained it all to him!" Loon boasted proudly

"I see" Liberi nodded "in that case we just have to wait for them to arri……….you've already told him?"

"Yea! He was walking in the corridors and asked me what happened, so I told him!" Loon said

"Oh no…." Dawn whispered, going pale in horror. She grabbed Loon by the shoulders and faced him eye to eye "Loon, you didn't tell him it was Nukids fault, did you?"

"Umm…."

_**Flashback, 4 minutes ago….**_

Jiro the Wolfen and Lunatic121 stood in the centre of Castle Dorans narrow corridors, as Jiro listened to Loons explanations

"WE GOT ATTACKED BY A GIANT ROBOT BECAUSE OF NUKID!!" Loon whaled

_**End flashback…..**_

"I may have hinted it" Loon replied, before fidgeting "Dawn….why are your eyes flashing Amber?"

"You…IDIOT!" Dawn screamed at the fictorian, almost as if she was about to become a werewolf, despite no full moon "do you have ANY idea what you've done?! Oh god…..where's Jiro?!"

BANG

Everyone jumped as the door to the living room slammed open. Standing beside the door, was the Werewolf in human form, with short spiky black hair and an angry grin. He smiled viciously as he showed his sharp, white teeth

"So…..when will Nukid arrive?"

* * *

"So, where is this Castle Doran Ross?" Warlord asked Roscoso, who had instantly teleported into the flat with Chaos Control (and waking everyone up in the process). Everyone had gathered around Ross and Nukid, who were explaining the situation

"Where it is doesn't matter for you guys. It's safe, the World Government won't find us anytime soon" Ross assured his team-mates

"Come to think of it, Dawns boyfriend Jiro lives there right?" DW asked

"He certainly does" Ross nodded

DW smiled "Cool! He was a pretty cool guy when I met him. Fun to talk to, pretty smart, looked pretty badass…"

"Darren, say another nice thing about Jiro and I'll post nude pictures of Tifa & Noel online" Nukid threatened

DW gasped "How do you have picture of that?!"

"How is not important!, it's what I'll do with them that matters!" Nukid grumbled, somewhat sulking. Ross sighed at the assassin

"Don't mind him. He just can't seem to get along with Jiro" Ross explained

"I'm willing to get along this time, for everyone sake" Nukid stated, sighing "anyway, we might as well get going"

"Before we go guys…" X suddenly said "…Ross, is it possible you can pick up someone else up after you've sent us to Castle Doran"

"Well…sure. Who do you want me to go get?" Ross asked

"Well, I figured with all the trouble we're having, we should get some other Authors to help out too. At least, those we can get in touch with" X Prodigy explained

"Sounds like a good idea, so long as they can fight" Ranger nodded in agreement "who do you have in mind?"

"Well, I think my bro, AdventChild101 can come help"

"OH GODAMMIT!!"

Everyone turned suddenly when Nukid screamed that. They looked at Nukid, who had his face in his hands in grief, almost crying in his hands, albeit in a somewhat comical way

"Why X…..why of all people do you want HIM?!!" Nukid cried "I can deal with Wilrook, I can deal with ShadowDJ, and I can somewhat deal with Loon, but I CAN'T deal with him!"

"Wow…didn't know he felt that way about Advent" Warlord said, surprised

X Prodigy side "I guess they didn't have the best of introductions. That might bewhy Nukid gets pissed off by Advent"

"Why, what happened"

"Advent snuck into Nukids room in the middle of the night, drew marking on his face with blood, and attempted to impale him in the chest with a rusty knife"

The room went silent after he explained this, except for Nukids silent sobering. X rubbed the back of his head embarrassingly

"He assures me that's how all Jashinist greet people"

AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF

When Nukid managed to stop sobering, Ross used Chaos Control to bring himself, Nukid, Ranger24, X Prodigy, DW64 and Warlord Xana to the corridor of Castle Doran, just outside the door to the living room

"Remember Nukid" Ross said to the assassin "get along with Jiro. Please man, do it for Dawn"

"I know, I know" Nukid grunted. He stepped up to the living room door, and opened it

Almost as soon as he stepped in, Nukid felt something lung at him, and wrap their arms around Nukids neck. Nukid nearly fell back, but managed to stay balanced as he was held in a tight hug

The person who was hugging Nukid was Dawn, who looked at Nukid and smiled, very relieved to see them all "you guys….I'm so thankful you're okay"

"Aye, barely though" Nukid nodded, smiling as well. They released their hug as Liberi, Mantis, Loon and TL walked over to see the new arrivals

"Man, didn't think you guys would all make it back in one piece!" Loon laughed, but still seemed happy to see them

"Don't lie Loon, we all had faith in you five coming back" TL reassured "we better go tell everyone else you're all back!"

"That can wait. Everyone needs their rest" Liberi said, before turning to Nukid "but, it's good you managed to get everyone here Nukid. You did good"

"Heh, who do you think you're talking to?" Nukid said smugly "no way in hell would mes…"

Nukid stopped when a certain person moved forward, pushing Mantis and Liberi aside to face Nukid eye to eye. That person was Jiro, who looked at Nukid with a neutral face, showing no happiness, no anger. Nothing

For what felt like several minutes, Nukid and Jiro stood staring at each other silently……

Deciding to break the silence, Nukid sighed "Hello Jiro. Look, I know we don't always see eye to eye, but I think in a situation like this, we can be grown up and…."

"YOU BASTARD!!" Jiro roared, grabbing Nukid with such speed not even Nukid could dodge. He held Nukid by the throat, and violently threw Nukid to his right

And with a smash, Nukid went right through the window…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!" Nukid screamed as he fell down the side of the huge building Castle Doran was a part of, similar to something you'd seem in Looney Toons

Everyone present in the room, beside the Three Monster Arms, stared at the broken window in shock. In a matter of seconds, Jiro had just thrown Nukid out the window, sending him falling several hundred feet down

Jiro huffed, flexing his shoulders as he walked away from the site "Riki, I want this mess cleaned up soon"

Riki banged the table in frustration, but did not complain. Dawn looked between Jiro, and where Nukid had been thrown out of, and hid her face in her hands

"So much for a peaceful welcome"

**I think the title fits the chapter well :p. Stay tuned, for the next chapter!**


	12. The Shadows On The Move

Hey everyone. Glad my last chapter got so well received. Thanks everyone! And now, enjoy!

* * *

Very few can say they've fallen out a skyscraper and survived, but Nukid could now say he had

Nukid lied flat on the ground, in the human shaped hole he had created when he crashed to the ground. The last thing he remembered doing before landing was shouting "Tekkai!" And now, the former assassin simply lied inside the hole asleep, having fallen asleep when he crashed

And as he slept, he dreamed of days gone by. Days of hardship, but triumph

_**4 years ago……**_

Nukid felt the sea wind rush past him as he stood at the edge of the Marine battleship, sailing through the vast Grand Line Sea. Stood next to him was fellow child soldier Jack, and both were staring straight ahead

Neither boy could take their eyes away. They starred intensely towards a small, wilderness island that was only a few hours away from the ship. To most ships, this may seem like an uninhabited island, with no signs of civilisation at far range distance

Nukid and Jack knew the truth however. This island was under marine occupation, and harboured one of the World Government most promising works. This was where young, loyal to the government children with great potential were sent to train in the arts of assassination and the ultimate martial arts style, the Rokushikis

This was where future CP9 members were trained

"We'll be there in two hours….." Nukid whispered, sighing dreamily "…I hope they'll give us food and time to rest when we get there"

"Nah, I hear the second you touch the ground they force you to march around the island twenty times, do over a thousand press ups, and climb a long, incredibly rocky cliff before getting to our sleeping quarters" Jack replied casually

"………………………………………Oh" Nukid said, almost unable to reply to that "that's….an odd to welcome us"

"It's necessary, I suppose" Jack sighed, turning around and leaning on the ships railings "in order to learn the Rokushikis, we must become superhuman in strength. Training like that is only way we can become superhuman"

"Superhuman…." Nukid repeated in a whisper. The thought of having such power was amazing for sure, but Nukid couldn't help but feel doubt

"I don't know about this Jack. Can we really survive this? Are we really capable of this?" Nukid asked his friend, fear radiating in his speech

"I don't know about myself……but I know you can Matt" Jack stated, shocking his blonde haired friend

"I..I can?!"

"You can Matt. When I first saw you on the battlefield for the first time, you never stopped moving forward, never let fear take over…..you never died. No matter how tough things get, you survive," Jack said to his war friend, patting both hands on Nukids shoulders

"That's why I'm glad to be your friend Matt. You're a true survivor"

--

Nukid stood next to Jack at attention in a long line along with over 500 children around his age. He was silently panting, breathing heavily for air, as his clothes were wet from sweat and dirt

Turns out, everything Jack had foretold about the greeting was true

Every child stood at attention, looking straight ahead at a small stage. On this small stage stood a man wearing a black suit and tie, with black sunglasses and hat covering most of his head

"Welcome to the Cipher Pol Number 9 training camp children" the man in the suit greeted "you are the ones who survived our greeting, so you have already shown great physical strength"

"Aye…..barely though" Nukid whispered despairingly

"But I assure you all…." the man said "……..most of you will die"

At that moment, you could cut the tension with a knife. The whole area was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Hardly anyone could take something like that easily, especially children! Nukid was amazed all these kids could still keep silent, and not burst into tears

Right now, Nukid wanted to, because he was so afraid right then

"The martial arts you are learning is only possible by training your body to such extreme lengths that by the end, you have the right to call yourself "superhuman" the man in the suit rambled "but there is no easy path. You will be trained every day, non stop with no days off or sick leave"

"N…no way….this is just…..messed up…" Nukid whispered, his lips trembling at the mere thought. The man in the suit smiled as he finished on one sentence

"In this training, there are only two possibilities. You either succeed and master the Rokushikis, or you die"

--

_**When I started training….part of me wanted to die….**_

Nukid felt the weight of twenty humans on his shoulder as he held a huge boulder over his head. His legs wobbled and his body was soaked in sweat as he held the boulder above him for dear life

If he let it go, he'd die

"Come on kid…." Said the instructor beside Nukid "…it's been three hours already. Another two more and you can move onto the next session"

_**Part of me felt that none of this was worth it…..**_

Nukid tried his hardest to sleep in his bed, but the aches of yesterdays practise were still throbbing like mad. He was sleeping in a huge barracks, along with about 50 or so other candidates

He wasn't the only one not asleep. Nukid could hear the silent groans from all the students, all-aching from the training. Not one was sleeping comfortably after that horrible training regime

And yet, that was what was waiting for them tomorrow

_**And that dying was the only way to be free….**_

All the students sat in attention as a soldier walked by, inspecting them. He stopped beside the boy next to Nukid, and reached for the boys' neck. He pulled off what seemed to be a necklace

The necklace however, turned out to hold a Christian Cross, the symbol of the Christian religion. In front of the boy he took it from, the soldier crushed it with his bare hands, and threw it to the ground

"There is only one voice you treat like god boy…" the marine soldier grumbled "and that's Fleet Admiral Sengoku"

_**If I just let myself get killed….**_

Nukid moved his body up and down as he did press up after press up. He gasped over and over as his arms felt like they were on fire

"One Thousand more......press ups........until we get fed....." Nukid told himself, the only thing that was keeping him going

_**Then I felt like this suffering would be over….**_

Nukid ran for dear life as he narrowly dodged flying spears overhead. Today was Thursday, and that meant they'd have to go through the jungle, dodging several booby traps and other killing devices

Nukid could hear the screams of several students behind him, but he dared not look back

_**There was no shame in giving up on this, I felt. It was all too much to me….**_

Nukid silently groaned in his bed again. He opened his eyes, and looked around the beds, where the other students slept

He noticed more empty beds than usual

_**But one day, something happened that changed my whole perspective….**_

Nukid and Jack were lined up in attention, along with every other student in front of the small stage, similar to how they had on their first day

The difference being that there were less students now

The man in the Black Suit, who the students had gotten to know as Mr. Black-he never told them his name for he felt it was not important- stood on the stage once again

"So far, you have all survived, and that is commendable. But, your training is far from over. It has only been one month, and you have several months ahead of you" Mr. Black reminded

Nukid had a hard time not bursting into tears, as seemingly did most other students

"But today students, you are given the pleasure of meeting a man who has become a legend in the CP9. A Rokushiki master who has surpassed all others, and has completed missions considered impossible" Mr. Black explained, before smiling

"This man, is Rob Lucci" Mr. Black revealed, before stepping aside to his left. From his right, the supposed Rob Lucci walked forward

Rob Lucci was a very tall and slim, yet muscular man with arched brows and a close-shaved goatee. He had shoulder length wavy hair but wore a large black tophat with a sepia band over it. He wore a neat black suit with the sleeves normally rolled up, with black leather shoes and a white tie and handkerchief in the breast pocket. On his shoulder. On his shoulder, a pigeon sat pearched on his shoulder

**_Seeing Rob Lucci for the first time changed everything….._**

Nukid wasn't standing partically close to Lucci, but he couldn't help but tremble. The power and authority the man walked with felt heavier than any boulder that Nukid had been forced to carry. This man seemed to be able to carry the weight of the world on his fingertips

Rob Lucci had great power, and Nukid couldn't help by feel mesmerised by it

"All of you here today have potential" Lucci spoke. He wasn't shouting, but his voice was still loud and powerful "all of you can one day become strong warriors of the World Government. However, many of you will turn out to be weak

"We'll know which of you are truly weak" Lucci said "because those of you who are weak, will die. Weakness, is the one true sin of this world. If you are weak, then you have no rights, no value in this world. This is a world where only the strong survive, and only with strength, can there be justice"

"Weakness….is a sin….those who are weak….will die" Nukid repeated in a whisper "only in strength….is there justice"

"Equality, respecting other beliefs, respecting those who live differently to us" Lucci snarled, disgusted at the thought "we don't need to accept any of that"

"We don't need….to accept any of that…" Nukid repeated

"When you have power, only your beliefs, only your value, only your life matters" Lucci preached

"Only through power…..does our life mean anything…"

"The World Government have the ultimate power, therefore only they can be right. Anything else, is wrong and shit"

"Only the World Government is right….everything else is wrong" Nukid said, his voice becoming more and more confident

Lucci turned away from the students, and said "to those of you who survive at the end of this, you've proven to be strong, and worthy. I'll see you at the CP9"

"SIR!!" all students saluted at once. Rob Lucci grunted, and walked off the stage, away from the students. At first, it seemed as though he didn't want to come and talk to the students, however, he certainly seemed to enjoy his rant on power

As he held his hand in a salute, Nukid felt like a new person. His body was no longer shaking from the aches and pains. His face did not look so pale, and he was no longer panting or groaning

_**When I heard Lucci's speech, everything seemed to make sense then. I truly believed that only through power, could anything hold true value or importance, and those with power, could protect the world**_

What was most different about Nukid, were his eyes. His eyes had always shown doubt, fear and uncertainty. But now, they were determined, strong and showed an unbreakable spirit that could not be swayed off his path

**_I wasn't gonna die. I was gonna become strong, and be the one to meet Lucci at the CP9….._**

**_End Flashback....._**

"Aah!" Nukid woke up with a fright. His eyes were blurry and unfocused, and his head ached, but he felt comfortable as he was seemingly in a warm room

It was then Nukid realised things were a little off. Last thing he remembers, he was plummeting to the ground after being thrown out of Castle Doran. But now, he seemed to be inside Castle Doran once again

Nukid rubbed his aching head, and looked straight ahead. He was surprised to see Hikari Ino at the end, who was using her powers to heal a cut on Nukids foot. She looked up to see Nukid awake, and smiled "you're finally up Nukid-san!"

"H..Hikari?" Nukid grumbled, getting up from the sofa he sat on "how'd I get back in here?"

"Ross picked you up. We weren't gonna leave out there on the streets" Hikari giggled "Dawn's scolding Jiro right now. I can't believe he did such a thing"

"Aah, I don't blame him" Nukid shrugged "I'd do the same thing if I was in his shoes"

"I believe that. You and Jiro are very similar"

Nukid cringed, and stared annoyingly at Hikari "that's a low blow Hikari"

"It's true! You're both tough, strong willed fighters who have a lot of care for those you love. It's just because of your similarity you don't get along," Hikari explained

"Still, don't compare me to that stupid dog….." Nukid grumbled "…..I've always got my eye on him. He does anything to hurt Dawn, I'll do far worse than throw him out the window"

Hikari sighed, seemingly giving up. To their left, the door to the room swung open, and in came X Prodigy. Nukid looked at his best friend, but grumbled and looked away. He could tell the Hollow was smiling under his mask

"Hey Nukes, glad to see you're up!" X greeted with a small laugh "enjoy your little trip to the ground?"

"Screw you…." Nukid snarled "…what do you want anyway?"

"I came to give you some good news, and some bad news" X stated "the good news is that everyone seems to be in good condition, with no serious injuries"

"Hmm, well if they're all willing to fight, then that's fine. What's the bad news?" Nukid asked

"Advent's here"

"…………..Ffffffuck" Nukid cursed. The assassin stood up straight and walked up to X Prodigy "alright, where is the little Jashinist then?"

"Hi….."

"AAAAHHH!!" Nukid screamed, jumping and spinning around when he heard the voice behind him. Nukid stood in a fighting stance, and even when he realised who it was, he did not break his stance

At first glance, the figure looked like Sephiroth, albeit shorter. He wore a black cloak with several insignia of a crimson circle with a triangle in the middle. He also wore a simpler rosary around his neck. Slung around his back was a huge and lethal scythe dressed in a scarlet colour and having three razor sharp blades. The only other distinctive feature about him was the pointed elf-like ears he had

He was the brother of X Prodigy only by bond and word of mouth. He was AdventChild101

"……………………………….Hello Advent"

"Hi Nukid!" Advent greeted cheerily

Nukid groaned, covering his eyes "don't smile Advent. I'm afraid every time you smile, a puppy dog dies"

"You….you really think I'm that good at killing?" Advent said, flabbergasted "thank you Nukid! I never knew you thought so highly of me!"

"I don't think highly of you! You scare the shit out of me!!" Nukid spat

"Why Nukid? My brother always talked about you like you were his brother, so I figured why not officially make you our brother?!!" Advent explained

"Is THAT why you sneak into my room at night and steal my blood?!"

"That, and I just happen to be a regular blood donor!" Advent explained "they say bring some blood for the needy, and you get a free cookie!"

"Advent, you're supposed to give your own blood" X reminded

"Oh…….well that's no fun" Advent grumbled in disappointment

"Oh god…." Nukid cried in his hands "….if the World Government doesn't kill me, Advent will"

* * *

In West Tokyo, there is a small town called Karakura Town. Karakura town was known for in the Soul Society as a town which regularly got attacked by Hollows, corrupted souls which devoured other dead souls.

The Hollows however, would find themselves pit against substitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki. Ichigo looks like a normal teenage boy; the one exception to that is his spiky orange hair, a trait that he has been ridiculed about for years. He is a fairly tall, and lean-built person with peach skin and brown eyes.

Ichigo walked down the street away from his house, wearing his Shinigami attire. He'd learned that there was a Hollow nearby, and as his duty ordered, he was off searching for it

"Damn…where the hell is that Hollow?!" Ichigo growled to himself as he ran. As he ran though, he looked down in deep thought. Something else besides the Hollow was on his mind

"And where's X Prodigy….I've been trying to call that bastard for days now, but he won't pick up" Ichigo asked himself "I wish Yourichi hadn't told me he'd been acting strange! I wouldn't be worrying about him so mu.."

"CERO!!"

Ichigo barely dodged the incoming cero, blasting the floor beneath which could've potentially blown him to bits. Ichigo already had his hands on Zangetsu, ready to fight.

However, the orange haired Shinigami almost lost his grip, when he saw who the attacker was. The Hollow was no ordinary Hollow, he was an Arrancar-a humanoid Hollow- and one Ichigo knew very well

He had light-blue spiky hair and eyes, with green lines below those eyes. The remains of his Hollow mask consisted of the right jawbone, and his Hollow hole was in his abdomen. He wore a white coat and pants, but no shirt showing a muscular body. A katana was strapped at his side

"Gr…..Grimmjow…" Ichigo whispered in disbelief. Grimmjow, an Arrancar who had once fueded with Ichigo, who had practically inspired Ichigo to become stronger, who Ichigo had defeated and thought was dead, was standing right in front of him, a cocky smile on his face

"Heya Ichigo, long time no see" Grimmjow greeted cockily "I hope your blade ain't dulled since we last met"

"Grimmjow! Why are you here?! I thought you were gone!!" Ichigo exclaimed, still in shock. Grimmjow laughed mockingly, grabbing the handle of his blade

"A new ally has given me a second chance at life…." Grimmjow explained, slowly unsheathing his blade "…and that means a chance to settle a few scores of mine"

Ichigo felt Grimmjows aura go up as the Arrancar powered up, blue energy swarming around him. Grimmjow raised his blade, ready to pounce

"I won't stop till I've evened the score to you……and Xenethis Chimera"

* * *

In the land of the four nations, where people with the ability to bend the four elements lived, one boy with literally no hair on his head stood by a river meditating.

With no hair, people could clearly see the blue arrow tattooed on his head. He wore red and yellow robes, and a staff was perched beside him. He was Aang, the last Airbender- the ability to manipulate air- and the Avatar, capable of bending all four elements

Aang sat by the river in utmost tranquillity. Now the war with the Fire Nation was over, the world was now in a state of peace. He had now the love of his life Katara with him, and everything seemed to be going all right

That all ended when a huge man appeared behind him….

Aang slowly turned to the man, and was almost shock by the mans size. He was a tall, muscular man with leather shirt and pants, with a cloak around his body that partially covered his face, and what seemed to be a prosthetic mechanical left arm. His hair was black, short and spiky. He had a small scar across his nose, and his right eye was permanently shut

What was most striking-or frightening- was the sword on his back. Though whether to call it a sword, or simply a huge piece of metal with a hilt was debatable. It was huge! Nearly the same size as the enormous man, and put Clouds Buster Blade to shame

"Can I….help you good sir?" Aang asked cautiously. He may have been the most powerful Bender, but even he felt fear of this man

"I am the Black Swordsman Guts…." Guts stated, grabbing the hilt of his blade and unsheathing it with one hand alone!

"…and on orders of my new ally, I must ask you to take a little nap"

* * *

The Hidden Leaf Village Konoha was at night time, and currently going through a heavy storm. The rain poured heavily down on the village,

Watching it in tranquillity was the blonde haired Shinobi with orange clothes and the headband around his head, who container of the Nine Tailed Fox Kyuubi, Naruto Uzumaki

Naruto watched in happiness, not because he enjoyed rain, but because everything in life seemed at peace. Akatsuki was no more, the ninja world was at peace (no one seemed to realise how stupid that was) and Naruto was almost assured title as next Hokage

Naruto sighed happily as he held his chopsticks and ate his Raman, watching the rain pour down outside. Lightning struck from outside, blurry the whole room for a split second

Sasuke Uchiha appeared right behind Naruto

It didn't take Naruto long to realise someone was behind him, and the loud shinobi was quickly had hold of a Kunai and was ready to attack. But when he saw who the intruder was, he dropped the kunai in shock

"S…Sasuke.." Naruto whispered, frozen in shock. He couldn't believe just who was in front of him, but the figure was perfectly like Sasuke. Same hair style, same body build, same skin colour and same attire

The only difference, was the silver mask across his eyes….

"Hi Naruto…" Sasuke said slyly "…how've you been good buddy?"

"S…Sasuke!….Y…y…you're supposed to be dead! I killed you!" Naruto trembled, unable to believe what he was seeing

"Oh…you mean at Mortal Kombat tournament" Sasuke remembered, seemingly not bothered by the fact Naruto had killed him

"Don't worry though, I'm far different from then. A friend has given me powers you could hardly imagine…." Sasuke said, drawing Susanoo from its hilt "…here, let me show you"

* * *

Oldkid sat in his bedroom, lying on his bed. He held his left hand in the air, and smiled triumphantly as he squeezed it tightly

"The Society of Shadows……has made its move"

_**Crap, the SOS has begun their attack! How will things turn out? Stay tuned to find out!**_


	13. The Wrath Of The Shadows

Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter of Legacy. Enjoy!

* * *

"BANKAI!!"

Ichigo managed just in time to change Zangetsu into its Bankai mode, changing it from its knife like shape to a black katana. He managed to this just before Grimmjow slammed his blade down on Ichigo, saving him from a potentially life killing slash

The two held their blades together, trying to outmatch the other in strength, while the two floated in mid air above Karakura Town. Ichigo looked directly into his opponents eye, remembering the bloodlust he saw before.

Grimmjow was an Arrancar who lived solely for fighting, and cared only about being the strongest. While some Arrancar changed from their inferior Hollow lives, Grimmjow never lost his desire to fight, and his apathy for all other.

People always said it was no wonder Grimmjow and Ichigo became such huge rivals

"What's the matter, Kurosaki?!" Grimmjow asked, laughing crookedly "don't tell me you're pissing your pants at the sight of me?!"

"Shut up….Grimmjow…" Ichigo growled back "I won't take that from someone who should be dead!"

Ichigo violently pushed Grimmjows blade back, and slammed Zangetsu over and over at Grimmjow. Grimmjow held his blade stationary, blocking every hit while a smile kept on his face

When Ichigo momentarily held his blade back to swing again, Grimmjow suddenly launched his left fist forward, hitting the Shinigami straight in the gut. Ichigo felt the air get pushed out of him, and the young Shinigami let out a loud groan from the punch

"Wow…you have softened" Grimmjow smiled "the Kurosaki I remembered would've dodged that!"

While winded, Grimmjow used this chance to grab Ichigo by the collar of his shirt, and throw Ichigo downwards, sending the Shinigami plummeting to the ground. With a big smash, Ichigo smashed into the cement road, hurting but not killing the orange haired Shinigami

"Come on Kurosaki…" Grimmjow said slyly "….what will it take for you to fight me seriously?"

Grimmjow held his hand downwards, aimed directly at the giant hole Ichigo had created when he crashed, and where the Shinigami was laying almost lifeless. A dark red energy amassed around Grimmjows open palm, forming into a dark red ball, readily charged

"Let's see if this'll wake you up! CERO!!" Grimmjow roared, firing the Cero blast down straight towards Ichigo. The Cero grew closer and closer at a very quick rate, and looked like it would hit the Shinigami right on target

But even Grimmjow knew, that Ichigo could not be taken so easily

"GETSUGA TENSHO!!"

Grimmjow smiled as his Cero was suddenly blocked by a blast of dark energy with a red outline. The dark blast completely blocked the Cero and momentarily clouded the area where Ichigo was standing

When the cloud disappeared, Grimmjow couldn't help but laugh in excitement. Ichigo's face was now hidden behind a Hollow like mask. Two black stripes went from the top of his mask, over his eyelids, and down to the bottom, and the mask had an odd skull-like design to it

Ichigo slowly flew upwards, facing the smiling once more as he narrowed his eyes behind his Hollow mask

"Well Grimmjow…." Ichigo growled, his voice had a growl like noise to it "….this is what you wanted to see, isn't it?"

"Hahahaha!!" Grimmjow laughed madly "looks like you've finally started to fight me seriously! Hey, has that mask changed?"

"Shut up Grimmjow!" Ichigo spat, holding Zangetsu up "you should've realised last time we fought! I won't be defeated by you!"

"Oh, I haven't forgotten…." Grimmjow whispered, clenching his sword "….I can't rest easy until I've evened all the scores. This fight will be different Ichigo….."

Grimmjow held his Zanpakuto up, like the start of a low sweep stroke, with his right hand. The Zanpakuto began to glow as he put the tip of his nails on the swords metal, like a lion or a tiger would. The air around Grimmjow swirled with a light blue aura, violent and threatening it was

"…This time, I WON'T LOSE!! GRIND, PANTERA!!" Grimmjow roared, raking his hand along the length of the blade. The area around Grimmjow began to swirl in a torrent of spiritual energy that caused tremendous gusts of wind

Ichigo could not see Grimmjow through the gusts, but he knew what was happening. It was just like last time when they fought in Hueco Mundo

"Grimmjows Ressurecion…..the true form of an Arrancar" Ichigo growled, watching as Grimmjows ressurecion appearance slowly came into form

Grimmjow's appearance changed drastically to something more feline and predatory. His teeth become jagged and sharp, his hands turned into black claws and his feet became black clawed paws, similar to that of a cat, along with a slender whip-like tail. His hair becomes very long and flowing, and the markings around his eyes enlarged and extended to the tips of his ears, which become cat-like.

He losed his distinctive jaw mask, which is replaced by a sort of a headgear on his forehead. His clothing changed to become a form-fitting white segmented armor, similar to his original Adjuchas-Hollow form. He had blades protruding from his forearms and his calves

"Much better" Grimmjow sighed in relief, almost like he had been feeling restrained beforehand "now I can finally let loose"

"Just come and try, Grimmjow" Ichigo proclaimed, aiming Zangetsu towards him "I will never lose to the like to you!"

* * *

Guts watched passively at the young Avatar Aang as he hovered in the air, surrounded by a gigantic tornado, which was sucking in the wind from all directions with a gust that knocked down trees, sent nearby wildlife flying, and caused the ocean to sway in a mad frenzy

And yet, not even budging the huge swordsman

As he hovered in the air, the Avatars eyes and arrow tattoos glowed a bright white, signifying that he was in the Avatar state. That Avatar state was the defense mechanism of each Avatar. The power of the Avatar completely released, and on this world, considered invincible

Unfortunately for Aang, Guts was not of his world. The large man lifted his humongous sword with only one hand, and pointed the sword towards the floating Avatar

"You are…. just another obstacle, that I will slice through no matter what"

* * *

Sasuke stepped down onto the rooftop of the building beside Naruto's small flat. The rain poured heavily down on the village, soaking the Uchiha's hair and clothes, but none of this bothered him at all. In fact, the small smile on his lips never left

Sasuke didn't move at first, seemingly observing his surroundings. His opponent, Naruto Uzumaki was nowhere to be seen, seemingly vanishing into thin air.

Slowly, Sasuke moved forward on the rooftop. Sasuke remained completely silent, save for the sound his feet made. It was almost as if he was expecting something to come out and bite at any moment

And that is what happened….more or less

With a loud crash, the floorboard behind Sasuke suddenly blew apart, like someone had jus smashed through it. From the hole it left, Naruto Uzamaki flew out, the spinning ball of Chakra, prepared in his right hand

"RASENGAN!!" Naruto roared, thrusting his right arm forward towards Sasuke, intending to rip Sasukes body to shreds with his Rasengan. The desire Naruto once had to save his friend was now gone. All that was left was the reluctant acceptance of having to get rid of the Uchiha

Naruto slammed the Rasengan into the Uchiha spine, who body bent backwards as it hit, his face gasping in pain as the Rasengan tore through his chest

Or so Naruto thought…..

Just as the Rasengan seemingly tore through Sasukes flesh, Sasukes body began to crumble, like fire burning paper. His body began to erode until there was not a trace left

"A…A clone?!!" Naruto gasped, before feeling cold, sharp metal touch the adams apple of his neck. Naruto remained absolutely still, knowing one wrong step could have his throat sliced in a second

Sasuke stood behind Naruto, holding his Kusanagi to Narutos' throat. He smiled mockingly as his opponent hardly moved a muscle, enjoying the fact his opponents life was in his hands

"And here's me thinking this would be a challenge…." Sasuke laughed slightly "…to think someone like you actually killed me once"

"Sasuke……" Naruto growled "…how did you know I was hiding under the rooftop?!"

"How do humans know anything Naruto?" Sasuke replied sarcastically "I heard you….I heard the sound of your movement….the sound of you creating that Rasengan….the sound of your breathing"

"What?!" Naruto snarled in disbelief "no way! Not in this heavy rain or the distance that was between us?! It's impossible even for the best ninjas have that kind of hearing!"

"I've done the impossible, Naruto. Thanks to Oldkid, all five of my senses have been enhanced to the point I can see a pigeon from a mile away. I can hear a spider crawl up a wall, and I can separate people through smell alone" Sasuke stated, leaning into Narutos' ear

"In short, you could say I can see everything….so tell those two clones of yours to quit hiding and attack"

Naruto gasped in shock, almost frightened by the Uchihas perception. In two mighty crashes, two Naruto clones jumped out from the ceiling and swung a kunai each at Sasukes head

Sasuke merely grinned cockily, and suddenly disappeared just before the kunais' impaled his head. The two clones were left in shock as their attack had missed

"Here guys" Sasuke cooed as he suddenly reappeared behind the two clones. The clones tried to turn around, but Sasuke was too quick, quickly swinging Kusanagi sideways, slicing both clones in half

With two loud puffs, the two clones evaporated into smoke. The real Naruto was left standing alone, shocked at the Uchihas perception….and speed

"Oh, don't act so surprised Naruto" Sasuke said calmly, lifting Kusanagi in the air "powerful perception is nothing if you don't have the speed of strength to use it properly. Now please, use your next pathetic attempt at beating me"

Naruto was at a loss for words, unable to figure just how to beat his former friend. His insanely powerful senses meant nothing could surprise him, and he had the strength and speed to use it to its fullest! At this moment, Naruto could not do much against Sasuke.

Not without potentially harming the village, that is. Naruto knew full well the demonic powers that lurked inside him, and Naruto admitted his attacks were…well…explosive

In his mind, Naruto decided. He would make a run for it, and get out the village so as to not harm anyone. He would find a spot in the forests that was safe and alone, and there he would not have to hold back against the Uchiha

Slowly, Naruto reached into his pouch, and grabbed a smoke bomb between his fingers. He made no movements at first, before suddenly swinging his hand downwards, sending the bomb flying out his pouch

The smoke bomb exploded with a bang, and a white smoke covered the area around Naruto and Sasuke. Using this, Naruto turned a full 180, and ran at full speed, across the rooftops of several peoples houses

Naruto knew Sasukes enhanced senses wouldn't have much difficulty seeing through the smoke, nor did he doubt Sasuke would be hot on his trial. But that was exactly what Naruto wanted. For Sasuke to follow him out the village

As the smoke cleared, Sasuke stood alone of the rooftop, looking in the direction where Naruto was heading. His smile never left his face, as the Uchiha rubbed the silver mask that covered his eyes

"Running away huh?" Sasuke asked rhetorically "guess I'm going fox hunting"

* * *

Zangetsu clashed with Grimmjows claws repeatedly, slamming into each other over and over. Neither Ichigo or Grimmjow let up on their attacks, and neither showed sign of fatigue or a desire to stop

After blocking one of Grimmjows swipes from his claws, Ichigo swung Zangetsu at Ichigos head. Grimmjow quickly protected his head with his forearms, creating a large cut on each arm

Grimmjow responded by spinning down and sending a flying kick down towards Ichigo. Ichigo blocked with his sword, but was unable to stop Grimmjow from spinning around and punching Ichigo in the gut, sending him back

"Sloppy Ichigo sloppy!!" Grimmjow cackled, pointing his right arms elbow towards Ichigo. From his elbow, five dark green darts fired out at Ichigo. The green darts were shaped somewhat similar to an axe blade, but with an indention in the middle, and flew at incredible speeds towards Ichigo

Before they hit Ichigo, Ichigo suddenly vanished, and reappeared in front of Grimmjow. Ichigo sliced down with Zangetsu, but Grimmjow blocked with both forearms again

"GETSUGA TENSHO!!" Ichigo roared, before a flurry of dark black energy engulfed his sword, and was sent through into Grimmjow. The force of the Getsuga sent Grimmjow flying down towards the ground, until….

"DESGARRON!!" Grimmjow roared, before the Getsuga was violently broke apart by what looked like ten light blue lines

These lines were actually giant claws of solidified energy, each coming from Grimmjows fingers. This was Grimmjows strongest attack, an attack which Ichigo had only just managed to break through sheer force of will

"Remember these?" Grimmjow laughed "if not, here's a reminder!!"

Grimmjow swung both claws towards Ichigo, and from them the Desgarron flied upwards, heading straight at Ichigo. Ichigo held Zangetsu in a defence position, but even with this Ichigo was sent backwards slowly by the force of the Desgarrons

"I….won't……lose…." Ichigo growled, using all his might to fight back the Desgarrons "I WON'T LOSE! GETSUGA TENSHO!!"

Despite the incredible power of the Desgarrons, they were torn apart, like shattering glass, by the power of Ichigos black Getsuga. After breaking them apart, Ichgo sent the Getsuga blast down at Grimmjow

Grimmjow was too slow to dodge in time, and was sent tumbling down to earth thanks to Ichigo's Getsuga. With a loud crash, Grimmjow slammed into the cement ground, lying in the crater he had made

"This ends now Grimmjow!" Ichigo proclaimed, raising Zangestu into the air. Black energy swarmed around the blade, as Ichigo put all the remaining energy he could into this one swing

Ichigo flew directly down, his Getsuga covered blade still above his head. He was going to end this in one strike. He was going to defeat Grimmjow once and for all, in one fatal blow

Grimmjow dazedly opened his eyes, and looked up to the sky. He saw Ichigo quickly flying down towards him, and the Arrancar tried to move, but the pain from the last attack made it too hard for Grimmjow to move a lot

"Damn…..damn it all…." Grimmjow coughed, growling as he tried to move his body "….I swore I'd….even the score…….I swore…..to the both of them…."

_**Flashback ?? years ago….**_

We now saw Grimmjow, just outside Las Noches palace in Hueco Mundo, the home of the Hollow. Grimmjow was laying flat on the sandy ground, his clothes torn and his body cut and bruised

Grimmjow slowly looked up, towards the figure who had just defeated him "W…wait…"

The figure turned his head towards Grimmjow, and let out a sigh "you still want to fight Grimmjow? I thought you were done"

"Done….me? The….6th Espada…..no fucking way….will I ever…give up" Grimmjow said between groans, his body aching all over. The Espada tried to get on his feet, but could only manage to get to his knees

"If you're worried about your position in the Espada, don't be, for no one will know of your defeat by my hands. I have no desire to join the Espada" the figure assured "I only wish to stay by Tia Harribels side……for now, and forever"

"That's not the point!" Grimmjow exclaimed loudly "I'm the king of the jungle! I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez! I refuse to lose any fight!"

The figure was silent at first, taking in what his defeated opponent said. He turned to look at Grimmjow, the sun radiating of his red and white mask

"I see….fighting is all you have, isn't it Grimmjow? It's understandable. We're Hollows, true monsters. For most Hollows and Arrancars, that's all we may have or need" the figure said, before turning away from Grimmjow

"But I'm not like most Hollows Grimmjow. I've found someone who I love with all my being, and I will do anything for. It was my desire to be with her, and protect her that made me wing" the figure explained, before slowly walking away

"Fight me again…..when you've found something worth fighting for, besides your basic extincts" the figure said no more after that, walking away as his sword hung from his shoulders

"Wait….don't you dare…..don't you dare leave this fight…." Grimmjow called out, almost begged as he tried to stand up, but the energy escaped. Grimmjow looked directly towards the leaving figure, biting his lips in anger

"I'll even the score with you…..this is only 1-0……I'll show you who the true Sexta Espada is…."Grimmjow said under his breath, before shouting "I'LL EVEN THE SCORE WITH YOU, XENETHIS CHIMERA!!"

_**End flashback…..**_

Grimmjow saw Ichigo quickly descent, but the Arrancar found new strength. The memory of his defeat, his desire to even his scores with both Ichigo and Xenethis, it was all Grimmjow needed

"He's…still awake?!" Ichigo gasped, watching Grimmjow quickly standing back up, and suddenly glowing a light blue across his body

"I'll even the scores…..with both of you!" Grimmjow roared

"_**Resurrección: Segunda Etapa!!"**_

* * *

Naruto ran through the wet streets of Konoha as the rain still poured down heavily. Quickly Naruto ran, just passing Ichiraku Ramen Bar as he ran

"Damn it….why is Sasuke back?….And what's with this serious upgrade in strength?" Naruto said to himself

"_**I'm surprised too kid. I was sure we'd killed him at that Mortal Kombat tournemant"**_Kyubi, the nine tailed fox suddenly said inside Narutos mind, just as Naruto passed Ichiraku Ramen Bar

Naruto was not happy to hear his voice. It was because of the nine tails that Narutos' childhood had been one of pain and loneliness, but Naruto knew in this situation, Kyubis' help may prove very helpful

"Listen fox!" Naruto called out "I don't know why he's back from the dead, but if I'm to kill him again, I'll need your help"

"_**Sure kid. I'll gladly give you some of my chakra" **_Kyubi replied

"No! What I need you to do is to snap me out of any Genjutsus he might put on me" Naruto explained, just as he passed Ichiraku Ramen Bar

"_**My, how boring" **_Kyubi yawned _**"but all right. I'll snap you out if you get trapped in one"**_

Naruto nodded in appreciation. This was one of the few good things about being having a tailed beast inside you. If any form of Genjutsu was placed on you, the demon would simply transfer their chakra into you, and thereby disturb the genjutsu

For a second, Naruto felt glad he had a tailed beast inside him, just as he passed Ichiraku Ramen Bar

Naruto suddenly stopped, and slowly looked to his right, towards Ichiraku Ramen Bar. That was the twentieth time he'd passed the shop

"Shit…." Naruto swore in shock "I'm already under a Genjutsu!! Kyubi snap me out of it!"

"_**Way ahead of you kid" **_Kyubi replied. Suddenly, Narutos eyes turned from their light blue to a blood red colour, signifying the Demons chakra that was in given to him

As Kyubis chakra entered Naruto, the Genjutsu slowly eroded, revealing themselves to be still on the same street as Ichiraku Ramen Bar. Naruto must've never moved since he passed the street the first time

At the ready, Naruto took out a Kunai, and spun around, swinging his armed hand. The sound of metal hitting flesh echoed in Narutos' ears, as he stabbed Sasuke Uchiha right in the chest

Naruto had figured out his plan. By putting him in a Genjutsu, Naruto thought he was running away, while he was in fact not moving at all. Sasuke used this to sneak up, and was about to stab Naruto through the heart.

It seemed as though the once famed genius had forgotten about Kyubi, and Naruto couldn't help but grin smugly "Sasuke, no matter how stronger you got, you were never in my league. You should've just stayed de…"

Naruto stopped mid sentence, when he felt a cold blade stab him from the centre of his chest….

Shock and pain engulfed Naruto so much he had no air to speak. He could feel his eyes growing heavier, his body feeling weaker, but the shinobi managed to turn his head, and see the smiling Uchiha, holding the blade

"Sasuke………how?…" Naruto whispered, managing only to say that

Sasuke sniggered "I'll give you credit for breaking out of the first Genjutsu, thanks to the Kyubi. But neither you or the fox realised, did you?"

"I put one Genjutsu on you Naruto…..but I also put a second Genjutsu directly onto the Nine Tailed Fox"

Naruto had enough energy to hear that, but he felt as if he was hallucinating! Being able to put a Kyubi directly onto a Tailed Demon?! Such a thing was considered impossible!

Sasuke smiled "That's right, Naruto. I put a Genjustu right onto your Fox friend. When he snapped you of your Genjutsu and transmitted his chakra into you, he automatically put his Genjutsu onto you as well"

"In the end, all I had to do was stick my sword right through your chest. Easy peasy! If only Oldkid didn't want you alive. This being your death would be a perfect end, but oh well. I've gotten my pacback" Sasuke laughed

Sasuke grabbed Kusanagi and pulled it out of Narutos chest. With a loud splash, Naruto slumped directly into a wet puddle, where the puddle turned a dark red

"I know what you're thinking, "such a thing is impossible!" Sasuke imitated, sheathing his sword

"But I told you at the start of this fight……Thanks to Oldkid, I've done the impossible"

* * *

Guts sat on the grassy ground as his gigantic sword sat stabbed into the ground next to him. He silently admired the river as the sun gave it a sparkling shimmer. Today was such a beautiful day, and the land was such a beautiful place. It was hard to imagine a battle had just taken place

With a sigh, Guts stood back up, and sheathed his huge sword back onto his back. Then, he grabbed hold of the unconscious Avatar Aang-who was covered in several cuts and bruises- and slumped him over his shoulders, before walking away from the river

"Caska……" Guts whispered to himself, looking up at the huge sun "….just wait a little longer, Caska my love"

* * *

_**Ichigo Kurosaki…..**_

_**Naruto Uzamaki…..**_

_**Avatar Aang…..**_

_**The Society of Shadows had done what they promised, and captured three individuals with insane levels of energy, and they'd done it with amazing ease**_

_**Drake was now a step closer to opening the door to the Ark, and obtain the Legacy he desired**_

_**And the Author Fighters? They were all still hiding at Castle Doran…hiding from the wrath of the World Government....**_

**Well…this one took a while to write. But I hope people enjoyed! Some of you may wonder why Naruto and Kyubi could speak to each other so easily…..it happened in AF: Mortal Kombat, so no one bitch about it. Stay tuned!**


	14. Hypocrite

…This is so not worth the three weeks it took me to make it…..anyway, enjoy

* * *

"Is everyone here?" Nukid asked the crowd of authors who had gathered in Castle Dorans main hall. Around twenty people sat or stood in the room, all staring towards Nukid who stood besides the rooms wall. Nearly everyone here was an Author, besides the three residents of Castle Doran, Jiro Riki and Ramon

"Everyone in Castle Doran is here and accounted for Nukid" Phoenix replied

"Good, and is Jiro on his leash?"

"If you mean that in a metaphorical sense Nukid, then yes, Jiro isn't gonna throw you out the window again" Dawn said. Jiro, who was standing beside her, snarled and muttered something under his breath

"Excellent…………and is Advent.."

"He moves, he dies" X grumbled, holding a sword near his younger brothers neck "relax Nukid, he won't……well he won't do whatever he's thinking of doing"

"Good" Nukid nodded "now, I don't need to tell you all why we're here, and what's happened to us. We're here now because there are things you need to know and understand if we even want a chance of surviving"

"Well don't beat around the bush Nukid. Tell us what you want to say" Liberi ordered. His face was calm, but even he was eager to hear what Nukid wanted to say

"Okay" Nukid nodded. He took in a deep breath, like he was about to explain a lot "We are…"

"RUFF!"

Suddenly, a small blue dog ran into the room, jumped up and onto Nukids head. Nukid fell down instantly, and laid almost lifeless on the ground as the blue dog held Nukids head in between its jaw

"Wolzar!!" Dawn gasped in shock. She quickly ran to Nukid side, and grabbed the small blue dog by the stomach

"Let go of him Wolzar! Bad dog!" Dawn scolded while she tried to pull the blue puppy off Nukid, who lied on the ground silently, angry eyes staring forward. With a low growl, Wolzar released its grip on Nukids head, letting go but covering the boys head with saliva

"Sorry about that Nukid. Wolzar has never done that to any before!" Dawn apologised, holding the blue puppy in her arms "why did he do that?"

_**Flashback…..**_

We see Wolzar standing in Castle Dorans dining room, along with the Wolfen Jiro, and a punching bag hanging from the roof. On this punching bag, was a life sized picture of Nukid

"Remember Wolzar, this man is your enemy. This man eats little puppies. This man must suffer for his sins" Jiro tutored the blue puppy "now, when attacking him, I recommend aiming for either the head, or the groin"

_**End flashback…..**_

Jiro smirked in the background, making sure he wasn't noticed by anyone, especially Nukid or Dawn. He was quite proud of himself, being able to teach Wolzar, a relatively tamed dog, into attacking Nukid. Still, Jiro was slightly disappointed he aimed for the head instead of the groin…..

"It's okay…." Nukid grumbled, standing back up as he wiped saliva off his face "….where was I?"

"You were about to explain yourself Nukid. Why the hell do we have giant robots and your old team out for our necks?" Ranger demanded

"Right…." Nukid sighed "…well, I think you all know my history with the CP9. You all know of the crime I committed….how I killed hundreds of soldiers in one night"

"Well….yea but those soldiers were evil! They killed Maria and were gonna kill everyone on that island if you hadn't killed them" TL pointed out

"Do you think the World Government sees it that way? No, to them I am a dangerous criminal who slaughtered hundreds of innocent soldiers in cold blood. A threat to everyone, no better than a pirate. That's why me and Sofia left our world, thanks to some help" Nukid explained

"But now, they're in our world. How is this possible?" Iron Mantis asked

Nukid rubbed his brow "I should've suspected……in our world, there is a man known as . To call this man a genius is a massive understatement, he is 500 years ahead of his time, and because of him has made several huge innovations…..we've already seen one of his many achievements"

"You mean….the Pacifista?! He made those things?!" Phoenix gasped

Nukid nodded "and if I was to guess, he's who figured out how to travel between the various alternate earths. And if I know the World Government, this is just the start of something huge"

"What are you talking about?" Snake Screamer asked, raising an eyebrow

"I may be jumping to conclusions, but personally, this is just the start of what they're planning to do with these earths" Nukid said, his voice lowering at the prospect of such a plan

"I think they're planning to invade and take over all the earths….one by one, until everything is under their control" Nukid revealed his train of thought

Nearly everyone in the Castle Doran dining room reacted in some way. Some gasped in shock, others narrowed their eyes, almost sceptically at the idea. Many raised their eyebrows in confusion.

Nukid remembered and sighed, he'd forgotten not everyone knew about the 240 Earths……

"Are you serious? I know the World Government is powerful, but surely they haven't got that kind of strength" Liberi stated

"The Pacifistas are only the tip of what the World Government can do. Their power relies less on their grunt soldiers, but more on their juggernauts. The CP9, the Marine Admirals, the Shichibukai……one of these groups alone could destroy whole armies in minutes" Nukid explained

"But why would they do it?! What would they have to gain from it?" Airnaruto asked

"The World Government firmly believes that their justice, their law, is the right path for humanity. They'll only be satisfied once their absolute justice is laid down on all the lands" Nukid said "in a way…..they're not so much evil as they are extreme"

"Even so…..this is only speculation. Maybe all their trying to do is take us out" Hikari pointed out "in any case, we need to figure out how to beat the World Government and save sempai"

Nukid looked at Hikari with a puzzled "beat the World Government? Are you mad?! There's no fucking way we can beat these guys!"

"But we've got to! We've got to beat them if we ever wanna find sempai!" Hikari insisted

"Hikari…." Nukid whispered, not wanting to say what was on his mind. But Nukid knew this was an issue that had to be addressed, and the sooner he said it the better

"Unless we found out otherwise….." Nukid said "….we have to assume DarkMagicianmon is dead"

"WHAT?!!" several authors shouted, horrified at what Nukid had just said. The most horrified was Hikari Ino, who had gone pale in the face, and stared at Nukid with a shocked and hurt expression

"Nukid!!" TL exclaimed "how can you say such a thing?!"

"Dark's our leader! We can't just abandon him!" Roscoso stated

"There's no bloody way we're just gonna pretend he's dead! We'll fight those World Government bastards head on to save Dark!" Air proclaimed

"SHUT UP AND LISTEN!!" Nukid shouted back, bringing all authors to silence. Nukid was angry, but he was sympathetic as well. He knew what he was asking of them was a lot, but Nukid also knew there was no choice

"You guys don't seem to fucking get it, do you?!" Nukid snarled "we give them ONE chance, and that's it! That's all they need to kill us and wipe the whole Author Fighters out! This isn't some small group of Darksides! This is the most powerful and merciless army in existence!

"Do you think Dark would want us to put ourselves in danger for his sake? No, he wouldn't. You remember what he did when the Dark Yonkou appeared. Dark would rather die than let us die!" Nukid finished. By now, all the previously complaining authors were silent

Everyone-though they hated to admit it- agreed deep down Nukid was right

"Then…….what do we do from here?" Ross asked

"We stay here and hide, and we take this ordeal day by day. We wait until the opportune chance arises for us to escape their radar completely, whatever that chance may be" Nukid explained calmly "this could take weeks, months, maybe even years. Until we find a way to hide permanently, we shut off all contact with our friends and solo teams. We cannot get anyone else involved"

"Hiding like cowards in this boring place" Ranger grumbled "can't say I like that idea"

"Well you're gonna have to learn to like it, because it's either hide and live, or fight and die pointlessly" Nukid stated. He turned his body towards the dining hall entrance, and started walking away from the group

"Remember this, all of you. This isn't about winning, it's about surviving"

* * *

Jack, the blood red haired CP9 agent walked through the empty sewers, near to where the CP9 had made base. Anger and frustration evident on his face as he walked heavily

Jack suddenly stopped walking, and stood still for a moment. Something was wrong, he was being followed…..

"You might as well come out" Jack sighed "you aren't very good at trailing people"

"Oy vey Jack, oy vey!" boomed a loud and enthusiastic voice. Two people began to walk forward, showing their faces which was previously hidden by the shadows of the sewer

The first was a man with gelled black hair that went to his neck, a small beard covering his mouth, making him look somewhat Latino. He wore a dark blue vest over what looked like black pyjamas, and with equally black jeans to add. His face seemed to always be smiling, in a very cocky matter that is. He held by his waist a Katana

The second figure was a man wit brown hair held back with a ponytail, wearing a brown coat over black shirt and jeans. What was most noticeable however, was the large visor covering his eyes completely. Around his belt were several pouches, seemingly holding various throwing weapons

"Koudou….H.H….what the hell do you want?" Jack snarled

"Now that's no way to talk to your fellow comrades in arms!" Koudou sniggered "why don't you lighten up Jack?"

"That last time I got buddy-buddy with a fellow soldier, that guy stabbed me in the back" Jack grunted "speaking of which, I got a meeting with him to schedule"

"You still planning to kill Nukid?" H.H. asked bluntly "even after Oldkid ordered us not to?"

"I don't give a fuck what he ordered!!" Jack turned and growled "that bastard ain't a part of the CP9 or the World Government, so I won't listen to his orders! And if you two plan to stop me….I'll kill you both right now"

"Technically, I'm already dead" Koudou laughed, "actually Ripper, we want to help you"

"Really?" Jack asked, sceptical of them "why?"

"We may not be from the same world as you, but we joined the World Government by our own free will, and so we share the hatred of a traitor" H.H. explained, smiling deviously

"Jack, Jack…" Koudou sighed, walking up and hooking his arm around Jacks head "there are two things in life I love; Women, and justice. Now, unless this Nukid is a pimp with several gorgeous ladies, I say we bring justice down on this traitor!"

"Hmph, well I don't need help anyway. I can handle Matt" Jack grunted, turning and starting to leave

"Soru!"

Suddenly, H.H. reappeared in front of Jack, blocking his path "we have no doubt you can kill Nukid, and we have no intention of taking that honour from you, but why don't use this to flush out the other hiding rats?"

"What?" Jack asked, raising his thin eyebrows

"Jack, don't you want the Author Fighters dead as well?"

"Of course I do. The friend of an enemy is my enemy as well. But Matt comes first"

"But here's the thing Jack. Why don't we use Nukid to our advantage? If he really is their comrade, then those Author Fuckers will come running to save him. That's where we come in!" Koudou explained cheerfully

"Interesting idea, but what makes you so certain they'll look for him?" Jack asked

"They will" H.H. stated "they've been to my village several times before. They're the type of people who'll rush in to help others, regardless of the danger…….pretty idiotic if you ask me"

Jack nodded "all right then. It's time we, the true strength of the new CP9, shows its hand and completes the assigned mission. It's time we bring forth justice among these criminals"

Koudou grinned "It's time the FREAK unit moved out"

* * *

Deep in the heart of L.A. two CP9 soldiers walked between the bustling crowds. To casual bystanders they were just a pair of regular people, but in truth they were highly trained killers, only this mission required them to look, not kill

"This X Prodigy guy, what did Oldkid say he wore?" the first CP9 agent, a teenager with short black hair asked

"He said he wore a mask covering his whole face, and held a sword of some kind. Oldkid wants us to find him and apprehend him" explained the second CP9 agent, a man with long brown hair

The first agent scoffed "why don't we just kill him? What's so important about capturing him?"

"Who knows? Oldkid just said capturing him alive was as important as catching Nukid. When I asked why, he just said he was "interesting" the second agent explained

"Well, a guy wearing a mask wouldn't be seen in a place like this. We should probably look somewhere el……..wait a minute, who's that over there?" the black haired CP9 agent pointed forward

In the corner of a wall leading off to a long alleyway, a masked figure stood in the shadows, silent and sombre. The two agents couldn't tell much from this distance, but they could see that the masked man wore blazing white clothes, with what seemed to be seven daggers on his back and one hand seemed almost claw-like

In his other hand was a sword; a sword covered in blood

The figure walked slowly down the alleyway, unnoticed by the crowd, but noticed by the two CP9 agents. The two CP9 agents looked at each other, and nodded, before running towards the alleyway, running through the large crowds, and looked down the alleyway.

The masked figure was nowhere to be seen

"Where is he?!" the black haired CP9 agent spat. The second agent analysed the alleyway, and saw what seemed to be the entrance to another alleyway "he must've ran through there!"

With that, the two CP9 agents ran down the first alleyway, turned right and expected to see the masked figure who they believed to be X Prodigy

Instead they saw dead bodies, lying across the alleyway in pools of their own blood. The two agents gasped and felt their stomachs churn. They were used to seeing people die, but these people had been mutilated, bloodied head to toe

What was worse, was that these were neither Authors or C9 agents

They were just regular civilians….

"My god…..did that X Prodigy do this…" the black haired CP9 agent murmured in disgust. He got no response from his partner, which he found to be odd, as he turned to face his partner

Nothing could've made him expect to see what he saw. His brown haired friend and ally stood lifelessly, as a sword was impaled right through his skull

Before the living CP9 agent could even react, a claw-like hand had grabbed him by the throat and threw him to the wall. Not letting go of his neck, the black haired CP9 agent felt the air slip away from him

The CP9 agent glimpsed at the masked man who had killed his friend, and the figure he saw was both horrifying and demented. The mask was black and white, with a twisted look that made it look like a clown, and staring at it alone made the agent freeze with fear

The white clothes he was wearing seemed to be a mixture of an Excorist uniform and an Arrancar uniform, further adding to this monster ghostly figure. As the agent was correct, seven daggers were indeed strapped to his back, and in his hand was a katana, covered red with blood

"Hi there…." The masked monster greeted. His voice was soft, but unstable and frightening "….can I ask you something?"

"W…w…what?" the CP9 agent said chokingly, unable to breath because of this monsters grip

"Do you know……..where Oldkid is?" the masked monster asked, surprising the CP9 agent even more. Why did this monster want to know where Oldkid was? Did he know him?

"Y…yes! I..I..I work for him…..If…if you let me go, I'll bring you to hi…"

The CP9 agent never got to finish his sentence, because the white clothed, mask wearing monster suddenly sliced him straight in half, covering his sword and clothes even more in blood

The masked monster looked at the now dead CP9 agent, and sighed "Ohh….I killed another one subconsciously, and this one was gonna help me too….."

The masked monster looked up at the sky, like he was looking towards god, and sighed deeply

"Oh almighty Lord Rasets…..why can't I stop killing? You told me to find Oldkid, but how can I do this when my urges get in the way?"

* * *

Sofia Scotts walked into her apartment, holding a bag in both hands. She laid them down on her table casually, relaxed and casual

Nothing about her was relaxed and casual, when she suddenly found a knife held beside her throat. The figure holding the knife grabbed her by the mouth, silencing her screams and gasps

Jack smiled and whispered into Sofia ear "don't move woman. Just do as I say and you won't get hurt

* * *

"That……didn't go well did it?" Nukid asked X Prodigy as the assassin lied on the sofa while X Prodigy stood up. The two were now alone in the dining hall, everyone else having left

"You're pretty much hated by everyone now" X chuckled "but to be honest, what you said was true; Dark would not want us to die for his sake"

"Exactly. Give them some time and everyone will agree with me" Nukid sighed "by the way X, I never knew"

"Never knew what?"

"I never knew you could use Cero. That's a Hollow move right? We all knew you were Hollow, but you never told us you could Hollow attacks!"

"…Y..yea…who knew?" X murmured, looking down. Nukid raised an eyebrow when he looked at him. He seemed to be conflicted about something, but the Hollow boy kept silent and kept looking to the ground

"Well then, better get going. God knows what Advent is trying to kill for Jashin right now" X said with a laugh, but Nukid could tell it was fake. With that, X Prodigy nearly ran for the door and walked out the room

Nukid stared towards the direction he left, before lying back down on the sofa. Nukid didn't like to get involved in other peoples issues, even friends, but like Dawn was a sister, X Prodigy was like a brother to him, and even he was concerned when something was off about him

RING RING

Nukid looked towards his trouser pocket, and felt his mobile phone rumble as it rang. Nukid casually reached into his pocket and took out the phone and checked the screen

"Huh, Sofia's calling" Nukid said, before holding it to his ear, and pressed the ring button "hello?"

_"Hello Matt"_ Jack greeted on the other end

Nukids eyes widened, and his face went pale at those two words alone. Every part of Nukid shook in shock and horror, and all Nukid could manage to respond was "Jack…."

_"Heh, at least you haven't forgotten about me, old comrade!"_

"Jack….what are you doing with Sofia's phone?!"

_"Oh, she's just letting me borrow it to call you. I was surprised Matt! She looks just like Maria!"_ Jack laughed

"Don't you DARE hurt her!!" Nukid threatened, his body fuming "I'll KILL YOU if you hurt her!!"

_"That's it Matt……that's the talk I like to hear. Tell ya what, if you meet me at that abandoned factory on the outskirts of this city, I'll let her go, and you and me can settle things once and for all. Until then, Ciao!"_

The line went dead, Nukid stayed silent, lowering the phone from his ear. He stared at the phone like it was alien to him, his face showing hurt and shock all at once. He showed no visible anger, until…

"GODDAMMIT!!" Nukid screamed, throwing the phone on the floor, shattering it to bits when it crashed. The former assassin covered his face with his hand, holding back the grieve and anger he felt

"No…nononono…." Nukid grieved "why didn't I take her with me? Why did she have to be forced into this?! Fuck, I'm such an idiot!"

Nukid lowered his hand, his face showing tears. He was so angry, angry at himself. Someone he loved and cared for deeply was now in danger, and once again it was all his fault.

No matter what he did, someone else always paid for his mistake…..

Not this time, Nukid said to himself. This time, no one would die for his mistakes. When the World Government attacked his friends and allies, Nukid swore no one else would die because of him. He swore no one else will die!

With a jump, Nukid got off the sofa and ran out the room. He walked down the corridor leading to Castle Dorans exit

"So you're really going?"

Nukid turned with a start, and to his surprise he saw Jiro standing behind him. Nukid cursed to himself and growled, did Jiro know what had just happened?

"You make a long sappy speech about how important it is to hide, but at the first chance, you leave yourself? You are one big hypocrite, you know that?" Jiro mocked

"Fine….call me a hypocrite Jiro" Nukid replied "I don't care. All I care about now is saving Sofia. Nothing you say will stop me, and if you try to stop me…"

"Come back alive"

"…I'll kick your ass and make you feel ten times the pain I felt when you chucked me out the win….huh?"

"I said come back alive" Jiro repeated, before turning and starting to walk away "as scary of a thought it is, you're the only chance this group has of surviving. Only you understand the World Government, and without you everyone is fucked

"Besides….if you die, Dawn will be upset, and I don't forgive anyone who makes Dawn sad" Jiro warned

Surprised at first, Nukid smiled and nodded "Don't worry, I'll come back alive"

With that, Nukid turned and continued running for the Castle Doran exit. Jiro looked in the direction he had left, and smiled

"To think, I threw him out a window and trained Wolzar into attacking him, and yet not once did he retaliate" Jiro mumbled "maybe that Nukid ain't so bad after all"

With a sigh, Jiro walked away and made his way to his bedroom. He opened the door, only to see AdventChild101, sitting on the floor, adding paper to a growing fire

"Oh hey Jiro!" Advent greeted to the shocked wolfen. In a burst of rage, Jiro grabbed the Jashinist by the collar and slammed him into the wall

"What, the hell, are you doing?!" Jiro growled, ready to go into his Garulu form

"Nukid said you were okay if I used your room for my next ritual" Advent said "he said you were also okay if I used those pictures you had of those Japanese ladies"

Jiro dropped Advent on the floor, his mouth gaping wide. He turned towards the fire, and to his shock it was true

His entire collection of Onyanko Club pictures was in the fire…..

"Nukid…" Jiro growled "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS, YOU BASTARD!!"

**Well, there's my payback XD. A weird chapter, since it was both pretty dark and pretty funny too**

**Today marks the first chapter Mach has appeared in! I thank X Prodigy so much for letting my fic be his introduction fic, and I hope to god I got him right! Stay tuned everyone!**


	15. Two Former Comrades, Now Enemies

Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter and.....I can tell not many will get the ending. Oh well, enjoy

* * *

Nukid walked through the entrance of the now abandoned factory Jack had told to meet. Since most factories around this area were in the centre of the city, Nukid knew instantly where he meant.

Nukid scanned the area, looking at every possible corner until he was satisfied he was alone. He guessed this factory use to make vehicles of some kind, since several pieces of equipment you'd find on cars or trucks were scattered around, left behind with the factory to rot

The factory itself was mostly complete shambles. There was only one main building, a long, thin but large building with a circular rooftop in the area, with the main doors spread open and nearly every window visible cracked.

This place was desolate, decaying, alone. It was perfect for a battle

"Hey now, you got here before me! You must be eager to settle things too" The crude voice of Nukids former comrade in arm, Jack, boomed out behind Nukid. His voice didn't sound so much angry anymore, but it still kept the hint of instability Nukid had constantly sensed within him

Nukid turned and saw Jack, smiling smugly as he held his knife directly at Sofias neck. Jack was dressed in his usual attire, black suit, trousers and black gloves. The usual attire of any CP9 soldier

"Jack…" Nukid murmured "…. release Sofia. Let her go"

"Heh. I know how much you care about her Matt…. perhaps I should slit her throat now and REALLY piss you off" Jack pondered, smiling madly as he drew the knife closer to her throat

Nukid staggered a little, his face showing concern and fear. He quickly calmed down, and said "I wouldn't recommend that Jack"

"Really now? Why not?"

"Because it would take you a second to stab the knife into her throat…." Nukid growled "….but in that small second you're distracted, I'd use Soru and Shigan you straight in the forehead, I assure you. The only reason I haven't done that already is because I too, wanna settle this fairly. However, if you hurt her now……I'll kill you without giving you any chance"

Jack considered carefully what Nukid had just said, and with a small growl, pushed Sofia aside. When Sofia regained her balance, she stared towards Nukid and whispered "Matt…"

"It's alright. I'll be fine" Nukid assured, smiling warmly "go to Castle Doran. Tell them I'll be back very soon"

"Okay……I believe in you Matt" Sofia nodded, he voice a silent whisper. After a short stare, she turned around and ran out of the abandoned factory

And leaving the two former comrades alone….

"Oy Matt, that was rather cruel of you" Jack sneered, "lying to her like that. You should've been honest and told her you'll never see each other again"

"What's happened to you Jack…." Nukid said solemnly "….you were always a blind sheep to the government, but you were never so angry and cold"

"Don't fucking act innocent!" Jack snarled "you know full well what you did! You betrayed your beliefs, your government, you betrayed me! You're nothing but a fucking traitor!"

"…..You're right Jack, I am a traitor. I did betray my government and all I once stood for, and you know what Jack?" Nukid said, preparing to fight

"I've never regretted it"

_**3 years ago……**_

Fleet Admiral Sengoku, leader of the Marines and perhaps the most powerful man in the world, sighed from fatigue as he continued writing and signing various documents at his office desk. Sengoku was always proud of how high he got in the Marines, but the sheer amount of paperwork was something he would never get used to

The door to his office opened, and in came Vice Admiral Tsuru. Tsuru was the only female vice admiral (making her the most powerful women in the Marines) and a direct subordinate. She was a very short and wrinkled lady, with grey hair tired back in a ponytail, and she always seemed to have a bored expression on her face

She came in holding a document in one hand, a coffee cup in the order, placing both on the desk. Sengoku-like any tired man- went for the coffee cup "thanks. What's this new document?"

"Final report on the new generation of CP9 agents. The survivors are ready to take the final exam; a real life assassination. That is, until you sign the document" Tsuru explained

With a sigh, Sengoku reached for both the pen and document "no point delaying it. Spandam always complains he needs more agents. By the way, how many survived this year?"

"Oh we did quite well this year" Tsuru replied, taking back the signed document and looking it over

"Out of the 500 recruits, 3 survived the training"

_**End flashback…..**_

Jack lifted his combat knife in the air horizontally, spread out in front of the blood red haired assassin. Nukid arched his eyebrows "you still use that little knife of yours? Only noobs used weapons"

"You say that, even though Kaku used swords?" Jack grunted "it doesn't matter how I do it, as long as the target is killed"

Breathing in, Jack tightened his grip on the Knifes hilt "now I'll show you why I've earned the nickname 'Jack the Ripper' Ranyaku Kaze Kirite!"

In a sudden motion, both of Jacks extended arms began to move left and right, like he was slicing someone with his knife, at such high speeds that Nukid could only see a blur of the moving arms. At first nothing happened expect for Jack continuous slicing

Nukid nearly jumped when a large crack appeared in the ground to his right. Suddenly, a second large crack appeared on his right. Two more appeared on his left, three more appeared on Nukid right again, and two more cracks appeared suddenly in front of Nukid

And with a gush of wind, Nukid noticed his right cheek bleed from a horizontal cut

"Soru!" Nukid quickly said, using super speed to move from where he was standing. After he had moved, the spot where he was standing was suddenly swamped with several cracks. Had Nukid not moved in time, he would've been chopped to pieces

Nukid reappeared directly behind Jack, his left arm raised back, his first finger extended "Shigan!"

Nukid swung his shigan directly at Jacks skull, but the CP9 agent expertly jumped forward and flipped in mid air. While he flipped, he swung his right leg backwards at high speeds "Rankyaku!"

"Shit!" Nukid cursed as the single air blade shot out from Jacks leg. At such a close range Nukid had barely any time to dodge, but the ex-assassin managed to move just in time to not get sliced in two

Jumping back, Nukid breathed in and out quickly. Only two moves in and Jack was already showing better skills. Nukid wiped the blood off of his right cheek

"I'd forgotten….you really did prefer the Rankyaku over the other five Rokushikis, didn't you?" Nukid reminisced

"Right you are Matt. I was fascinated with it since the day we started training" Jack smirked "the way you could slice through people with only your feet, the effectiveness of it….the such beautiful ways you could kill a person"

"Sadistic fuck…." Nukid grumbled "you really fit the 'ripper' nickname well"

Not waiting for a response, Nukid charged forward, and swung a punch directly at Jacks gut. Jack quickly managed to move his knife up, and block the punch with it. Struggling to hold the punch back, Jack swung his right leg directly towards Nukid face

Nukid jumped back in time to dodge the kick, and when he landed back on the ground, he immediately responded with his own kick to Jacks head. Jack however, had quickly spun around and swung his right leg again

The ground below the two shook slightly when the two kicks hit each other. Two warriors with the strength of several hundred soldiers hit each other, neither letting down or giving up. In their test of leg strength, Jack smirked "just like old times, huh?"

Smiling too, Nukid nodded "aye, just like our final days at the training ground"

_**3 years ago……**_

Nukid and Jack stood facing each other in an outside training ground, specifically for one on one fights. The two stood facing each other, smiling confidently at each other

"Ready Matt?" Jack asked politely, getting into his fighting stance

"Born ready!" Nukid replied confidently, getting into his own stance

"Soru!" Jack disappeared in a flash, only to reappear directly in front of Nukid, his right arm held back "Shigan!"

Nukid ducked under the Shigan, and spun his body around while his right leg was extended out, causing it to slam into the back of both Jacks leg. Jack fell backwards, but before he fell he flipped his body backwards, and landed back on his feet

"Not bad…." Jack smirked "Geppou!"

Jack jumped into the air, and then jumped on the air itself, until he was a good distance above Nukid "Rankyaku Nijuu!"

At once, Jack kicked both legs forward, and two air blades flew towards Nukid. Nukid quickly rolled backwards, dodging the attacks

"Geppou!" Nukid roared, jumping into the air as well, directly towards Jack. Upon contact, Nukid threw his right fist directly at Jacks face, but the red haired assassin turned his head to dodge

Seeing an opening, Nukid smirked smugly as he suddenly grabbed Jack by the collar of his shirt. Spinning his body in mid-air, Nukid threw the assassin back down to the ground, smashing the floor upon impact

"It's over!" Nukid roared, spinning forward, and swinging his left leg down as his body fell to the ground, intending to give Jack one massive, painful kick. Jack was ready though, and when the kick was about to hit him, Jack blocked with both arms, struggling to keep the force of the leg back.

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP

Both Nukid and Jack turned towards where the clapping noise was coming from. Standing at the entrance was a familiar sight to both trainees. A woman with neck length orange hair, wearing a black suit similar to both Nukid and Jack

"Maria Scotts" Jack said formally "what are you doing up so early? It's only 7pm"

"I could be asking you two the same thing. Why, of all days, do you two practise? Today's our final day of training"

"Might be our last day of training, but we're not fully fledged CP9 agents yet. We've still got one more obstacle to overcome" Jack pointed out

"Yea, a real assassination mission" Maria nodded "everything we've learnt this past year will finally be tested. Naturally I'll be fine, but I just hope you two don't slow me down"

"Flat chested bitch…."

POW

Nukid went face first into the wall, almost crashing through the wall, thanks to a hard punch from Maria's right fist "WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT MY CHEST?!!"

"Forgive him, Maria" Jack apologised for the unconscious Nukid "Matt is a teenager, so his hormones take over from time to time"

--

After regaining consciousness- and patching up his face- Nukid, Jack & Maria made their way to the main entrance of the training camp. There, the man in black suit was there to greet them goodbye, and explain their final mission

"Congratulations to all three of you" the black suited man said "you three survived the training, and learned the greatest form of martial arts in the Grand Line. You three have proven to be strong"

"Strong….." Nukid repeated, smiling to himself in satisfaction "….without strength, there can be no justice. With power, there is justice"

"We thank you for training us" Maria thanked "but now, we have to complete a real mission, correct?"

"Correct" the black suited man "the Kingdom of Krustan has not sworn allegiance to the World Government, and while they have not openly rebelled, the king refuses to work with us"

"Damn fool" Jack growled in disgust "how dare he oppose true justice like this"

"We have tried to negotiate peacefully, but he will not budge" the black suited man explained "however, we recently got a call from the Prince of Krustan, who has stated they will negotiate with the World Government if he is in power. It would be convenient if the king happened to….pass away suddenly"

Nukid pondered "Hmm, well I doubt there's much chance of him passing away any time soon. I mean it would have to be such a huge coincidence, and I hear the King is hardly decrepit and…"

"He wants us to kill him Matt"

"Oh…." Nukid said uncomfortably "….sorry, I'm……terrible with innuendos"

The man sighed "just remember all I taught you three, and you'll be fine. Take care and good luck" with that, the man turned around and left his three surviving students

"Wait, isn't he gonna explain the plan for the assassination?" Maria asked

"How we assassinate our target is up to us" Jack stated, "We are no ordinary assassins. We've all been trained to the point we can be considered 'superhuman', and we possess the power to kill all our enemies and make this world better. We have been given the freedom to formulate our own plan, however we see fit"

"Are you sure we alone can do all that?!" Nukid asked sceptically "sounds a lot for us to handle"

"We'll be fine" Jack comforted his two friends "we survived a years worth of gruelling training, we can survive anything live throws at us"

_**What Jack said reassured me. We were survivors, and we could survive anything life through at us!**_

_**However, until Jack had shown himself outside Author Fighter HQ…..I'd always believed only two of us came out of that mission alive….**_

_**And I'd always believed I was the only one alive today…..**_

_**End flashback…..**_

Nukid ducked under a slash from Jacks knife, and swung a punch directly at Jack abdomen. Jack quickly blocked the punch with his free hand, and swung his left knee straight for Nukids face

Nukid nearly felt the full force of the knee, but the former assassin managed to flip backward just in time to dodge the main force of the attack. Nukid flipped in the air, and landed on his feet, several feet away

"Come on Matt…." Jack growled madly "you haven't even landed a single hit on me! SORU SENPUU KIRITE!!"

Jacks disappeared with his Soru, but with it came this strange and strong gust of wind that soared at Nukid at such a high speed Nukid couldn't dodge in time

"Tekkai!" Nukid roared, and held his arms together, tightening his muscles, turning his skin hard to as steel. Nukid knew exactly what this wind was, and his assumption was correct when the wind hit him

In a single moment, Nukid was suddenly covered with several cuts on his body. Two on his legs, three on his arms, two on his shoulders, and one above his left eyebrow. He was not terribly wounded-having suffered way worse before- but being able to cut Nukid while he was in Tekkai worried Nukid somewhat

Jack reappeared behind Nukid, smiling smugly as he held up his blood-covered knife "pretty good Tekkai Matt. I wonder how many more of those you can take?"

"I see…..you run with Soru so fast I can't dodge, and swing your knife rapidly in a straight-forward direction" Nukid observed "cool technique, but it's better suited when slicing through several opponents at once"

Jack winced "who the fuck…DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GIVING ME ADVISE?! SORU SENPUU KIRITE!!"

"Tekkai!" Nukid quickly tensed his body to protect the body, but the Author was quickly hit with the strong wind, and several more cuts appeared across his body. Jack reappeared

"Now do you see?" Jack said angrily "I am the superior Rokushiki master! My Soru Senpuu Kirite cannot be beat! It's flawless! Just give up and die!"

"No….attack is…..flawless Jack…" Nukid gasped, feeling the cuts and pain it gave off. He kept his Tekkai stance on

"Soru Senpuu Kirite!"

Nukid gritted his teeth as he felt several more cuts across his body "if the trained eye….."

"Soru Senpuu Kirite!"

"…He will….find the flaws in the attack…."

"Soru Senpuu Kirite!"

"And…." Nukid whispered, almost on his knees "…he will counter it"

"Like hell you'll counter it! You won't be able to survive one more attack!" Jack snarled "Soru Senpuu Kirite!"

Jack disappeared like before, and a huge gust of violent wind flew at Nukid, ready to slash him to bits again. This time however, Nukid let his Tekkai down

"Wait for it….." Nukid mumbled "…Now!"

Just as the gust of violent wind was about to hit Nukid, Nukid swung his left arm out, and grabbed Jacks armed hand. Jack suddenly reappeared in front of Nukid, a shocked expression on his face as his powerful attack had been stopped by Nukid

"H…how?!" Jack trembled in shock

Nukid smiled "there were two key features to your attack. One, you always swung at the face first, and you moved down the body with the cuts, and two, while you aimed at certain body parts, you had little control over where the cuts landed. Just my luck those cuts never hit my eyes"

Nukid held his arm tight, while secretly with his right hand, he extended his first finger, readying a Shigan

"I don't how you came back from the dead, or how you're body seems to be undamaged, but I told you before…..I wouldn't die by your hands, and now I'll end this! SHIGAN!!"

Nukid swung his right arm forward, straight for Jacks stomach. Nukid was not gonna kill Jack-he had long abandoned resolving conflicts that way- but he was gonna hurt him enough for him to lose consciousness. A few shigans to the stomach would knock him out for sure

What happened to Nukid finger though, was something that had never happened in his lifetime

The finger-upon contact with Jacks stomach- snapped back, breaking the bone….

"AAAHHH!!" Nukid screamed, howling in pain as his first finger snapped and broke. Nukid fell backwards, clutching his broken finger, shocked filling his face. How could his Shigan not pierce through his skin?! How could his skin BREAK his finger?!!

Watching, Jack sniggered quietly, almost like a madman "is my skin too tough? Not surprising, considering what work was done to it"

"J..Jack! How is your….how is your skin like that?! It's harder than metal! It's just like….just like…."

"A Pacifistas skin?" Jack finished for him. Jack reached for his suit, and unbuttoned it slowly

"Three years ago…..you saw my whole body get blown to bits by those soldiers…..you thought I was a dead man, and at the time, so did I" Jack murmured

"But the World Government, and the brilliant mind of Dr. Vegapunk…..they gave me a second chance….a second chance to fight for justice, to live again as a soldier!"

Jack grabbed both sides of his unbuttoned shirt, and showed Nukid his chest. Nukid gasped in shock, his eyes widening in horror. While at first Jacks body looked normal, Nukid quickly saw that his skin was metal, and without a single scar on his body

And considering what Nukid had seen happen to him three years ago….that was a horror upon itself

"You're a…….cyborg…." Nukid whispered

"Correct. I once swore I would use this new body to help you, my friend who promised me he would always fight for justice…..but now…."

Jack reached for his left glove, and took it off. Nukid grimaced as he saw the small hole on every Pacifistas hand. Jack aimed it towards Nukid, and quickly, a strong light energy engulfed his hand

"I will use it to destroy you, and rid this world of my mistake" Jack proclaimed "I am CP9 agent, Jack The Ripper. The first true Humanoid Pacifista"

……**Yea, I can tell people will be confused by this one. Why is he a Pacifista, you are all asking. Rest assured though, this WILL be explained next chapter. Stay tuned**


	16. Unforgiveable

Hey everyone. Sorry for the wait. I…..I have no excuse

* * *

_**I've dedicated my whole life towards ending yours....**_

Nukid jumped back from a giant explosion, which he himself was nearly blown to bits by. Nukid quickly got back up, panting heavily from his constant dodging of light beams

Not too far, Jack stood proudly, his left hand held up, aimed directly at Nukid. Suddenly, a cross like shape of light grew out from the hole in his hand, like something was charging

"Shit!" Nukid cursed "Soru!"

Nukid narrowly dodged another light beam from blowing him to bits. So narrow he was thrown forward and landed on his back. Nukid groggily tried to get back up, knowing that another attacks was imminent

"Ha ha ha ha!!" Jack laughed maniacally "That's it! Keep trying to run! I'll fucking blow you to bits eventually!"

Jack fired another beam directly at Nukid, and promptly Nukid rolled out the way. With every dodge, Jack was getting closer and closer to hitting Nukid. With every blast, he was closer to finally killing him

"I won't be satisfied…." Jack muttered "I won't be satisfied till I see your dead carcass!"

**_I once saw you as my closest friend. I once believed you could change our world, and I entrusted my hopes, my dreams to you_**

**_But you betrayed me….._**

**_3 years ago….._**

The Kingdom of Krustan was a small country, practically one huge desert, sited just on the border of Arabasta. Unlike their giant neighbouring country, Krustan had refused any invitation given to them to join the World Government

While the country simply didn't agree with the World Governments dictatorship ways and simply wanted to be left alone, the World Government had branded the country as terrorists and threat to peace

And today, Krustan, and one boys live, would change forever

Nukid, Jack and Maria stood a safe distance away from the palace gates, standing around a crowded street. Not only was their conversation muffled by the crowds, the three would simply look like they were a part of the crowd. Especially since all three were dressed in brown robes over their usual attire, much like everyone else

"The palace is right over there, and the king is no doubt inside" Jack said to his two allies "no doubt the king is heavily guarded. He knows we're after him"

"So what? We bust through the gates in a dynamic way, take out any guard that dares get in our way, kill the king and then be back here for dinner!" Nukid boomed "that's how I'd do it!"

"Yes, and you're an idiot" Maria deadpanned "Jack, you had a better plan?"

"I did" Jack said. He reached for under his robes, and took out a rectangular metal box of some kind

"What's this? A box?" Nukid asked, grabbing hold of it

"No it's a bomb"

"….Oh…"

"And it's quite delicate"

"Eh..heheh…" Nukid laughed nervously "you can have it back"

"Thank you" Jack grabbed hold of bomb "after some studying of the architecture, I've learnt of a sewer that goes directly under the palace. We plant it at the right spot, and this bomb will have enough power to blow up the whole palace"

"Blow up the whole palace…" Maria repeated, staring towards the bomb. To think such a small thing could have such power! "that's a good plan! You should try to be more like Jack, Matt"

"Hey, MY plans are MANLY!!" Nukid retorted "still, wouldn't my plan be a little less….messy"

"Probably. I don't deny we could do it that way, and honestly that way would be way more fun" Jack admitted, smiling at the thought. Like Nukid, he enjoyed fighting, and the rush it gave

Though they differed on the satisfactory of killing your opponent……

"However, you must remember we are assassins. If possible, we have to keep our faces hidden. If knowledge the king was killed by assassins from the World Government, citizens will revolt" Jack said, lifting the bomb "at least this way the answer will be ambiguous"

Nukid sighed "Suppose you're right. I guess we don't want citizens revolting"

"Yea…" Maria said solemnly "…we don't need a country of corpses"

* * *

The sewers beneath the Krustan palace were dim with but a few working lights placed directly above the murky green water, reflecting a dark green colour around the sewers. The sewers themselves were very big and were not an issue for Nukid, Jack and Maria to walk through, save the water that went up to the soles of their feet

"Are we there yet?!" Nukid groaned, walking with a slump behind the other two agents

"Almost. We're nearly at the right spot to plant the bomb, directly above the throne room" Jack stated as he walked in front, holding the bomb

"Didn't you say the bomb could blow the whole palace?"

"Theoretically yes" Jack nodded "but we don't want it to be wrong and by some stroke of luck, narrowly miss the king right?"

"As Assassins, we can't leave anything to chance. We must always be precise and thorough" Maria added "just like our teachers told in theory classes"

"Ah, those things…." Nukid reminisced, before smiling "...I slept through those"

"What?! How did you get away with something like that?!" Maria asked in surprise.

Jack sighed "He has narcolepsy. He always used that as an excuse"

"Heheh…" Nukid sniggered quietly "…never thought this syndrome would ever come in ha…"

Nukid collapsed onto the floor, landing face first into the muddy water. Jack and Maria quickly turned towards Nukid, thinking he may have been attacked. To their relief -and annoyance- they could hear the snoring coming from Nukid mouth

Maria growled, walked over to Nukid and kicked him in the head "WAKE UP YOU IDIOT!"

**_End flashback….._**

Jack fired what felt like the fortieth light beam towards Nukid, sending the ex-assassin crashing to the side. Nukid got onto his knees, panting heavily as he clutched his side. He could feel his left side cut in several places, blooding oozing slowly out

Nukid winced a little as he moved his right hand off the ground. His first finger –which had broke when he tried to Shigan Jack- was snapped back into place, but it was still unusable and throbbing badly

Nukid tried to put the pain he felt all over to the back of his mind, knowing another light beam was gonna come. In fact……Nukid was surprised he hadn't attacked again

Nukid looked up, and saw Jack standing not too far away, breathing heavily. Nukid was shocked to see him like this. The skin under his eyes were dark, and the assassin was sweating all over

He looked worn out, but why?

"Don't….get relaxed you bastard!" Jack roared, finally charging another light blast. Nukid readied himself, and this time dodged the incoming blast well, thanks to the short catch of breath he'd been given

But why was Jack so worn out? Not only was he a superhuman like Nukid, his body was now a Pacifista! It was toughs as nails, and capable of withstanding nearly all forms of pain

Unless…..

**_3 years ago….._**

"We're at the spot" Jack suddenly boomed. They stopped mid-way through the giant sewer tunnel, and Nukid couldn't help but raise an eyebrow

"You sure? The place looks no different than the rest of this tunnel" Nukid asked. Jack nodded, walking up to the left wall

"Right now, we're directly under the throne room. This is the perfect spot to plant the bomb" Jack said, strapping the bomb to the wall delicately. After he did this, he tapped a few buttons on the screen, and a timer starting ticking down

"Right, we don't want to waste too long for it to blow. Ten minutes should be enough for us to get out" Jack explained

"Well I'm not leaving it till last minutes. Let's go" Maria said. Jack and Nukid nodded, and the three turned around and were about to Soru at of the sewer

BANG

Maria fell to the floor, clutching her cheek. Nukid and Jack quickly turned to her. She held her cheek as her hand was covered in blood. It was only a cut, and she seemed more shocked than hurt

All three agents turned to the direction the shot came, which was the opposite way from where they had came. There they saw a man wearing a black and gold uniform, with a sword sheathed at his side, a revolver in his right hand.

The man himself had a bald head covered by a gold helmet, and a large brown beard covering his chin and mouth. The man was obviously a soldier, but a very high ranking soldier at that

"So then, I come down here on inspection to find three, large rats running beneath his Majesties palace" the man said with a gruff laugh "don't try to make up excuses. I know you're from the World Government. Cipher Pol by the looks of it"

"And who the hell are you?" Nukid retorted

"Captain Alan Ozenberg of the Krustan army" Ozen declared to the group "I am a loyal guard to our majesty, and a man who will sacrifice his own life for his safety"

"Really now" Jack growled "your bloody king should've submitted to the World Governments demands! He's sealed his fate and everyone in the palace now because of his foolishness"

"No my child, his majesty will live on" Ozen replied calmly, drawing his sword "it is you three Government dogs, that shall die"

"Oh that's it…" Nukid smiled, but he was obviously angry "…now I'm fucking pissed! Soru!"

Nukid charged at Ozenberg in super speed, closing the distance between them in mere seconds. Nukid swung his left fist directly at his face, but Ozenberg lifted his gun before he could connect, and fired a shot directly at Nukids head

Nukid narrowly dodged getting blown in the face, merely getting cut above the eyebrow. Nukid fell to the ground below Ozen, who held his revolver down towards Nukid

"So long, Government dog" Ozen said as he smiled deviously

BANG

Nukid looked to his left, where a single bullet floated in the water. He then turned to Ozenberg "that's the third shot you've missed. You're not a very good shot, are you?"

"Sh..shut it child!" Ozen spat, his face going red in embarrassment. He threw the revolver to the ground, and unsheathed his sword "I prefer a sword to guns anyway. A far more honourable weapon"

"Guns…swords…" Nukid smiled "..either way…only weaklings who can't use their fists use those!"

Nukid jumped up to his feet, and sent his left fist straight at Ozens jaw. Ozenberg lifted his sword to block the punch. After blocking it, Ozen pushed his fist back, and promptly swung his sword at Nukid chest

Nukid jumped back and dodge the attack. Jack then ran past Nukid, his knife in his left hand, as he swung his knife numerous times at the old soldier. Ozenberg qickly blocked each attacks with his sword, sending his own attacks towards the CP9 agent.

Jacks knife and Ozens sword clashed together, and the two held their ground. As the two stood close in a test of strength, Maria ran past Ozenberg, facing the soldiers back. When aligned properly, she charged forward

"Shigan!" Maria roared, aiming her first finger directly at Ozens spine. Ozen saw this quickly, and smiled cockily

"**Kibou Kibou No Mi!"**

Just as Maria shigan was about to pierce his skin, Ozens whole body began to dim and grow faint, before it became so faint you could see through it! Jacks body slipped through as he knife was no longer supported by Ozens sword, and Maria tripped when her Shigan went through his body, but pierced nothing

SMACK

Jack and Maria collapsed to the floor, a big bump on each others head. Ozen regained the solidness in his body, and smiled deviously towards the two assassins, holding his sword in the air

As he swung down, the attack as halted mid-way, thanks to Nukid stopping the attack between his hands. Nukid held the sword tight, before sending his right le straight towards Ozenbergs gut

Once again, it was to no prevail. Ozens body became fainter, and the kick went right through his body, before it solidified, and sent a punch directly at Nukids face. Nukid staggered back, but kept his ground, grabbing Jack and Maria and pulling them to safety as he jumped back

"You….ate a Devil Fruit…" Nukid stated, wiping the blood away from his cheek "it seems to let things pass through your body"

"Correct government dog. I ate the Kibou Kibou No Mi fruit! Any attack that comes at me will go through me if I desire it to. Your attacks are useless" Ozen mocked, laughing with his gruff voice

"Hmph. I guess only an idiot would still try to hit you" Nukid sniggered, cracking his knuckles "unfortunately, I'm one fucking idiot!"

Nukid charged forward head on, and swung his right foot directly towards Ozenbergs right side. Ozen promptly made his body see through, and the attack went through his body

"An idiot will die and idiots death!" Ozen roared, quickly swinging his sword down towards Nukids skull. Nukid cursed, grabbing Ozen by the palm of his hand before he could hit him, and held it tightly

Together, Jack and Maria rushed forward, ready to attack the old soldier. As they charged forward, Jack noticed the fright on Ozenbegs face as he looked up and down between them and Nukid, who held him by his hand. It was something he hadn't shown before

"GET OFF OF ME!!" Ozen screamed at Nukid, kicking and punching the young assassin with his free hand in the face over and over, but Nukid would not let go. Ozen was too late, for Jack ran ahead and swung his knife directly at Ozenbergs heart

Jack half expected him to become transparent and go through the attack, but to his surprise Ozen instead raised his free arm, and the knife stabbed straight through his arm. Ozen groaned at the pain, but he did not lose his consciousness or show much sign of giving up

"What….." Jack whispered in surprise "….why didn't he use his Devil Fruit?"

"My turn!" Maria roared, jumping into the air and aiming a Shigan straight to the captains head. Ozenberg gasped in horror, but quickly and violently threw Nukid up into the air with one hand alone! The force of the throw caused Nukid to let go, and land straight into Maria

"Again…." Jack whispered to himself "…is something stopping from using his Devil Fruit?"

"DON'T DAYDREAM BOY!!" Ozenberg cackled, swinging his now free sword down at Jack. Jack promptly dodged the sword and swung his knife directly at Ozens face

"**Kibou Kibou No Mi!" **like before, Ozenbergs body became faint and see through, and Jacks attack swung straight through his body. Jack quickly stopped his arm and swung it back in the opposite direction, hoping to catch him off guard, but once again it went through his body

"Now he can use it…." Jack whispered as they clashed weapons "….what's his secret?"

As Ozen swung his sword down, Jack quickly blocked with his knife, before reaching towards the soldiers neck with his hand. At this Ozenberg panicked and stepped back

At that moment, the answer to his mystery, the weakness of his Devil Fruit was clear

But it was too late…..

Jack felt the cold steel of his sword stab right through his stomach….

"JACK!!" Nukid screamed, both he and Maria stood looking in horror, as their ally and friend was stabbed right through the stomach

"Hehe…." Ozen laughed silently "…one dog down, two to.."

Ozenberg cut himself off, when he felt a hand grasped his sword wielding hand. The bloody red hand held on tightly, refusing to let go

"I….figured it out…" Jack coughed, blood flowing from his mouth "…you can…use your devil fruit….while holding inanimate objects…..like your sword….."

Jack smiled "but when….you're holding a persons skin….your power is useless!"

"Damn it!" Ozen cursed "Let go! I SAID LET…!!"

Before Ozenberg could finish his sentence, he suddenly found himself in front of Nukid, who had a finger stabbed directly into Ozenbergs skull. Ozenberg body slowly collapsed to the ground, dying in but a quick instance

Before Ozenberg was stabbed in the head, he saw a glimpse of Nukids face

It was like a wild, angry, uncontrollable beast……

**_End flashback…._**

Jack stood breathing heavily as he was surrounded by several huge holes, created by his light beams. Not a single one however, had touched Nukid, and Jack showed heavy fatigue on his face, while the boy could hardly stand, his legs shaking heavily

"Damn it…." Jack panted heavily "…just bloody die already!"

Nukid walked slowly towards Nukid, no longer in fatigue himself. Nukid looked towards Jack emotionlessly, and without the fear he had before

"I figured it out…" Nukid mumbled "….you're not like those other Pacifistas. In fact you're hardly anything like them"

"Of course I'm fucking not!!" Jack snarled "I was alive when they made me this! I have emotions! I have my own reasons to fight! I'M STILL HUMAN!!"

"Exactly" Nukid retorted "you may have their strength, but you don't have their stamina. Look at you! You're almost dead from exhaustion! The Pacifista my team faced could last hours of gruelling pain and torture, and still fight the whole team at once!"

"I don't need to take on all you Author fuckers….." Jack growled "…I just need to kill you!"

Jack suddenly aimed his hand at Nukid, and fired another light beam at Nukid. Nukid quickly jumped to the side, dodging every light blast made by Jack

"I won't forgive you….I won't forgive you…." Jack mumbled over and over "…I WON'T!!"

_**Three years ago….**_

Nukid carried Jack on his back while he and Maria ran to the entrance they'd came through. Nukid could feel Jack slowly lose blood, and he was getting more and more worried

"Fuck…." Nukid growled in frustration "…we need to hurry!"

"We must be nearly there now!" Maria assured, looking towards Jack "we'll get you help quickly Jack!"

"There they are!" Nukid and Maria jumped at the male voice they heard not far behind them. To their horror, both turned and saw five Krustan soldiers, wielding rifles following the group in hot pursuit

"What the hell?!" Nukid gasped "how'd they catch up?!"

"They must've gotten into the sewers from somewhere closer by to hear!" Maria replied "they're gonna shoot!"

"Ready….Aim…." the lead soldier said, while the other four soldiers aimed their rifles "…FIRE!!"

"MOVE!!" Jack shouted, pushing both Nukid and Maria to the floor. Two of the bullets went straight through Jack, hitting him in the chest and the left thigh

"Jack!" Maria gasped, about to get up and help him

"NO!" Jack ordered "you two…the bomb's gonna go off in a minute….go now while I distract them!!"

"We're not leaving you!" Nukid shouted back "I refuse to leave my frie…"

Jack interrupted Nukid with a punch to the face, sending the boy back into the water. Nukid looked up, and saw an angry Jack looking at him

"Dumass!" Jack spat "we're soldiers! This is more than just us being friends!"

Jack staggered forward as three bullets went straight into his spine. Despite the numerous wounds, Jack did not fall unconscious, but merely looked directly at Nukid and Maria

"Listen to me…." Jack whispered "….promise me….you'll keep my dream….our dream….alive!"

"Jack…."

"I….knew the second I found you…..on that battlefield…..that you could survive….no matter how tough things got Matt" Jack coughed, his voice growing weaker "…so please, you are the only who can….keep the World Government in power!"

"So please……." Jack coughed, standing up and facing the soldiers while holding his knife "….join the CP9 ranks…..kill anyone….who dares oppose the World Government.."

Jack looked back towards Nukid, and smiled "and above all else……preserve justice…for the both of us…..now go!"

"J…Jack…" Nukid whispered, trying to stop him, but even he knew it was pointless. Jack was so heavily wounded he could not be saved. And if they tried to carry him, all three of them would be blown to bits

This was a soldiers life. Sacrifices had to be made

"I promise" Nukid said the last thing he believed he would say to him. He grabbed Maria by the hand, and the two ran for the exit, leaving Jack behing. Nukid didn't look back, couldn't look back. It had taken everything in him not to break out into tears

When the two were safely out the sewer, the two got a safe distance before seeing the palace blow to bits, killing everyone around the palace without doubt

Only then, did Nukid break into tears….

* * *

By the time the bomb had gone off, Jack had already lost consciousness from the pain. He was more than willing to die then and there, knowing he could trust Matt to keep his promise

And yet here he was, lying on an operating table in a dark room, save for a light shining above his head. Somehow, Jack was alive!

But, he quickly realised most of his body was bandaged, and he had lost both his arms and legs

Suddenly, a man who faces Jack could not see looked down towards Jack, and smiled. The man seemed to be surrounded by several other surgeons, all garbed in operating outfits

"Why good evening Mr. Jack!" the man greeted "I'm Dr. Vegapunk. By some stroke of luck, you survived that nasty explosion! But, you're body is disfigured beyong repair. You might as well be dead!"

"However….you were a CP9 soldier, and a promising one at that! It would be a waste to lose you, so Sengoku has given me permission to do my new test on you!" Vegapunk proclaimed

"If it fails, you die. But if it works, you'll be the first humanoid Pacifista!" Vegapunk laughed "exciting isn't it? You'd be even MORE superhuman than you already were! And you could potentially go back working in the CP9"

At this Jacks face lit up, and hope reigned in his heart. If this was true, and that he could continue fighting, then becoming a cyborg, even if the procedure was painful, was but a small sacrifice to pay….

He knew now, he could still help his friend Matt preserve justice

* * *

For the first few months after the procedure, Jack could not move at all. His body had almost completely become metal, and learning to move again was painful and hard

But, he slowly began to regain movement of his body. By five months, he could sit up in bed. By eight, he could stand. By ten, he could move his body

By twelve, he could begin training….

Jack was happy and optimistic. His body was stronger and faster than before, and he knew Matt was gonna be stronger too. Together, the two would become the top agents in the Marines, up there with Rob Lucci!

However, on one fateful night, everything changed

* * *

"You've heard haven't you?" one doctor said to another, the two sitting in their small office "about that CP9 agent who went berserk and kill hundreds of innocent soldiers"

Jack had been walking past the office, when he overheard this conversation. He carefully listened in, not to get seen by the doctors

"Oh yea. Heard the Marines have put a huge bounty on his head" the other doctor sighed "what a fool giving up such a great life. What was his name anyway?"

"I think it was Monkey D. Matt"

Jacks hold body almost collapsed in shock. His body shaked in horror, hoping to go he had just misheard them. Jack brow began to sweat, he clutched his heart as his breathing got heavier. He tried so hard to believe he'd misheard them

"It couldn't be Matt…..It couldn't be Matt….. It couldn't be Matt!!….." Jack whispered over and over

"Here's the new bounty poster of him, right here" the first doctor said, before showing the picture to his colleague. Jack quickly peeked his head into the doorway

There was no denying it. It was Matts face on the wanted poster

Jack could do nothing but collapse onto the floor

**_End flashback…._**

"Ever since that day…." Jack panted heavily "..I SWORE I'D KILL YOU!! You, who broke my promise and betrayed my trust! You promised you'd protect the justice of our world, BUT IN THE END YOU WERE WORSE THAN A PIRATE!! I'LL KILL YOU!!"

Jack fired a blast directly in front of himself, but to his horror, Nukid jump forward and ducked the attack, leaving Jack open for attack. Nukid crunched up both hands, and his arms were out

"The….Rokougan!" Jack gasped. Jack knew he could do it, and knew that attack alone would finish it. Jack manage to block his chest with his hands, hoping to stop the Rokougan from attacking

To his shock though, Nukid never tried to use Rokougan. Instead, the former assassin sent a fist flying straight at Jacks face. Jack was thrown back, landing hard on the ground from the right hook.

Jack was lying on the ground, trying to stand up, but he had hardly any energy left to stand or move. Nukid walked beside him, cut and bruised, but enough energy to carry on

Nukid had won…

"Why…." Jack groaned "…why didn't you use Rokougan?!"

Nukid rubbed his cut cheek "if I'd used that, the pain would've killed you in your exhausted state. I didn't come here to kill you"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP!!" Jack screamed at him "I've threatened you and those you love! I kidnapped your woman and doomed your whole group! Why WOULDN'T you come here to kill me?!"

"Because you have every right to be angry at me" Nukid suddenly said, which shocked the tired Jack "I did betray your trust, I did break our promise. I've never denied that"

"Wh…what are you saying?"

Nukid sighed "There was a time…when I kept my promise"

_**2 years and 6 months ago….**_

It was night time during Water 7, where three man swam through the river roads on boat. One of the men looked like a religious monk, judging by his clothes. The other two were guards by the looks of the weapons they held

"Monk Shao …." A voice said from out of nowhere. Suddenly, Nukid jumped on the opposite end of the boat, facing the three men

"Wh..who are you?" the monk, called Shao gasped

"I am the hand of the World Government, ready to strike down unwanted nuisances" Nukid declared "your so called teachings disrupt the justice of the World Government. Prepare to atone"

"Shit!" one guard growled, raising his sword "KILL THE GOVERNMENT DO…"

Nukid was too quick, kicking the first guard in the neck so hard it snapped, his body falling into the water.. The second guard lunged at Nukid, but he quickly sent a Shigan directly into his throat. The guard fell off the boat, blood gushing out as he fell

With no one left, Nukid promptly grabbed Shao by the collar, and sent five Shigans directly into his chest. Shao could only let out a small whimper, the pain and blood loss knocking him out, almost certainly killing him

Nukid casually threw the body into the river, and then used geppou to go into the air, leaving as if nothing had happened

_**End flashback….**_

"But…..things changed……my eyes were opened"

_**2 years ago…..**_

"Maria…." Nukid sobbed, crying over her dead body "…why didn't I listen to you?! Why did I refuse to open my eyes?! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!"

Nukid continued sobbing over her dead lover, while surrounded by the corpses of hundreds of Marine Soldiers

_**End flashback….**_

"That justice you and I used to believe in…" Nukid growled "…it's fake! It's wrong! There is no justice in Absolute justice!"

"No…..you're wrong!" Jack cried back

"I'm not, and once you see that, you'll see why I did what I did" Nukid said "and why, I don't regret breaking my promise"

"You…..bastard!" Jack cried out, that sentence hurting him hard. Nukid turned around, and began to walk away

"Maria died because of my ignorance" Nukid said "I refuse to kill you too. Fight me as many times as you want, but I won't take your live"

"Don't fucking take me so lightly!!" Jack roared, suddenly and violently standing up, wielding his knife "I can't be at ease till you die!"

Jack ran forward, ready to attack Nukid with his knife. Even though his body was in so much pain and agony, he was ready to take anything Nukid turned around and threw at him

But Jack wasn't expecting a Rankyaku, to hit him from his side……

Nukid quickly spun around, to see Jack fall the ground, and large cut right down his chest. He knew that mark, it was a Rankyaku, but it was so powerful it had cut through his Pacifista skin!

"Well, well, well…" cooed an unfortunately familiar voice "….didn't I tell you not to go after him?"

"You…..Bastard…." Jack groaned "I'm on….your bloody side!"

"Hahahaha…you're just a disobedient dog to me" the voice laughter echoed. Suddenly, the figure revealed himself, standing on the rooftop of the factory. He looked down at the two with amusement and his usual sadistic smile

"But, you did lead me to the man I wanted to speak to, one on one……so for that, I'll give you less painful death than I originally planned"

Nukid growled, anger boiling inside "Oldkid…."

**Now Oldkid has arrived, what will happen next?! Stay tuned to find out!**


	17. Death Of Two Assassins

Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

_**2 hours ago…..**_

The unconscious bodies of Naruto, Ichigo and Aang slumped to the ground before Oldkid. Oldkid leaned against the wall of a dark room, facing towards the standing allies, Sasuke, Grimmjow and Guts

"Oldkid-sama. As requested, we brought you these bags of shit" Grimmjow said respectively

Oldkid clapped his hands and laughed "excellent! Well done my good friends! I had no doubts you'd all succeed"

"We owe it all to you, Oldkid" Sasuke said, "you gave us all the power we needed to exact our vengeance"

"Don't put me in you league boy" Guts grumbled "I did it on my own. I'm not weak like the two of you"

"What was that?!" Grimmjow turned and snarled at Guts, reaching for the hilt of his sword "bastard….you wanna start something?!"

"Now now everyone…" Oldkid said calmly, albeit with humour in his voice "..Guts, you shouldn't be so rude to your allies! Surely you of all people understand the unwavering desire for revenge"

"I didn't need to be someone else's bitch when I got my revenge" Guts grunted "and if you have nothing else to say to me Oldkid, I'm taking my leave"

Guts turned and walked out the room, carrying his huge sword on his back. When he was gone, Grimmjow spat on the ground, cursing under his breath. Sasuke remained silent, his face emotionless, while his silver mask hid his eyes.

"Asshole! What the hell is that guys problem anyway?!" Grimmjow growled

"He certainly isn't like us" Sasuke murmured "he seems to not be motivated by revenge or hatred"

"Guts was once a man on a quest for revenge…..against gods themselves" Oldkid smirked "…Guts eventually prevailed against all impossible odds, and killed the man who he once hated with all his heart"

"If he's done with revenge, then what does he fight for? He doesn't look like the type who simply enjoys fighting" Grimmjow said, laughing a little. If he did he would be a lot more like him

"Ah ah ah! Why he fights is none of your concern dear Grimmjow" Oldkid waggled his finger "in the end, all we need is a reason, and then anyone can get into a fight. Don't fret over other peoples reasons Grimmjow, focus on your own"

"Aye….Oldkid-Sama" Grimmjow nodded, tightening his fist. Grimmjow could not argue with that logic "by the way……has their been any sign of _him_"

"Ah yes, that reminds me!" Oldkid exclaimed "some CP9 agents have reported back with sightings of a masked swordsman"

"Masked…swordsman?!" Grimmjow repeated, shocked by the possibility it was _him_

"Yes! There have also been some agents found dead, killed by a sword" Oldkid added "checked out the place they were found dead, and let me tell you, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of all that blood and gore. This man is obviously an artist!"

Grimmjow chuckled, rubbing his knuckles in excitement "the gore thing doesn't sound much like him…but if it Xenethis…"

Grimmjow looked up at Oldkid, and bowed down at him "thanks for the help Oldkid-sama. Now if I may take my leave, I'm gonna personally go look out for this masked swordsman"

"Go on my good friend" Oldkid said, waving his hands "just remember; this man is an artist at killing! If he isn't Xenethis, would you mind bringing him back to the base….alive of course!"

"Sure thing" Grimmjow grunted, before turning and exiting through the door, leaving Sasuke and Oldkid alone

"Hmm…" Sasuke hummed "…guess he's more like me then. He's motivated by revenge too"

"True, though his isn't so personal" Oldkid pointed out "Grimmjow wants to be the king of the jungle, and to do that he has to take out past failures and redeem himself"

"Hmph. That's a pretty petty reason to fight and kill for"

Oldkid laughed, "if you look at it like that, you could say it's petty of me to kill solely because it turns me on!"

"_**And it's so easy when you're evil…."**_

"Ooh sorry, gotta take this" Oldkid apologised. He reached into his pocket and took out a cellphone

"….That's a pretty odd choice for a ringtone Oldkid"

"Come on, it's practically my theme song!" Oldkid laughed. He turned on the call button and held it to his ear "hello this is Oldkid! Friendly neighbourhood psychopath!"

"_Oldkid sir, we've done as you asked,"_ said the voice of CP9 FREAK agent H.H. _"Jack has taken the bait, and has confronted Nukid"_

At first, Oldkid said nothing. Sasuke noticed that his smiles slowly grew larger, and the Darkside at one point licked his lips, like he had suddenly grown excited

"…..Excellent…..good work H.H.! I owe you for this my good friend. Ta ta!" Oldkid said, closing his cellphone and putting it away. Oldkid then stood up, stretching his arms

"Sasuke…." Oldkid said "…I want you to come with me now. What you're about to see will be important to you later on in this battle"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow "where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you…." Oldkid said somewhat silently "….to see my reason for fighting"

_**End flashback……**_

Oldkid faced the injured and fatigued Nukid and Jack, the latter on the floor, his whole chest cut open by one of Oldkids Rankyaku alone!

Sasuke on the other hand, was standing watching the scene from the top of the nearest building to the warehouse. To the normal eye looking down on the scene, they would've looked like the size of toy figurines

But to Sasukes enhanced eyes, they were as clear as seeing them close up…..

"Allright Oldkid…." Sasuke whispered "…I'm watching. Now, what's so important for me to see?"

* * *

"Now Nukid…" Oldkid said, jumping off the rooftop and onto the ground below. Slowly and casually, Oldkid walked forward "….this is the first time you and I have had a chance to talk, one on one!"

"…..Can't say I'm that thrilled about it…" Nukid growled, his whole body on the edge. He was prepared to defend himself if Oldkid tried to attack, and yet, he did not feel prepared, for he knew just how powerful Oldkid was

And though he hated to admit it….Nukid was afraid of Oldkid

"Oy…." Jack groaned, somehow managing to get back on his feet, clutching his bleeding chest "….don't you bastards forget about me!"

"Oh Jack…." Oldkid sighed, waving away Jack "…would you mind just rolling over and die already? I have very important matters with Nukid to discuss"

"Don't take me so lightly!!" Jack roared "In case you forgot, I have my OWN business with Matt! And that's slitting his throat"

"Jack, Jack, Jack….." Oldkid shook his head "…I told you not to fight Nukid, and it was for your own good. You never stood a chance against him"

"Oh yea?! How the fuck would you know that?!" Jack retorted

In but a split second, Oldkid disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Jack. Before he could defend himself, Oldkid swiped at his neck, and lifted the assassin off the ground. Jack gargled as Oldkids tight grip choked Jack

"Because….." Oldkid chuckled "…..I am him…..and he is me. We are the same"

"Rankyaku!"

Oldkid quickly dropped Jack and moved his hand back in time to dodge the airblade from slicing off his arm. Oldkid turned to see Nukid, his right leg slowly lowering, like he had just kicked the air

"Protecting the guy who just tried to kill you…" Oldkid said "…I should say I'm surprised….but this is you we're talking about"

"Leave Jack alone" Nukid ordered, "it's me you want"

"Oh yes Nukid…..this is all about you" Oldkid chuckled, silently and dementedly "everything that is happening right now is just for you. Without you, there is no point behind anything in this plan"

"And without you…" Nukid growled "…me and my friends wouldn't be in this situation! Soru!"

Nukid charged at Oldkid at super speed, and swung a kick straight at Oldkids chin. Oldkid almost casually moved his head to the left, dodging the kick. Nukid quickly brought back his foot and spun around sending several more kicks towards Oldkids ace, but Oldkid dodged each one

"Come on….come on….come on…" Oldkid whispered between each kick "..come on Nukid! You can do better than that!"

"Shut up!" Nukid snarled "Shigan!"

Nukid lowered his foot and sent a Shigan directly at Oldkids head, but Oldkid managed to block the hand before it could hit the Darkside

"Dissapointing…." Oldkid murmured "….you're not even trying. Are you trying to upset me?"

"SHUT UP!" Nukid shouted in rage "SORU!"

Nukid disappeared with his super speed, but reappeared just behind Oldkid. He swung his left fist directly at Oldkids spine, but the Darkside casually moved his arm around his back to block the punch

"I can't take it Nukid. I can't take this half hearted attempt of fighting!" Oldkid exclaimed with a smile, but something was different in his voice

Was it anger?

Oldkid however was interrupted when a knife was suddenly swung at the Darksides cheek. Oldkid let go of Nukid to dodge the swipe at his face, but the knife managed to graze Oldkid right cheek

Oldkid looked forward towards a barely standing Jack, who clutched his bleeding chest in pain. Despite it he still stood up, holding his knife tightly as he lifted it towards Jack

"If…what you say is true….and that you are him and he is you…." Jack chucked madly "..then it's my obligation….TO KILL YOU AS WELL!!"

Jack raced forward with Soru towards Oldkid, and when he was close enough he swung his knife at Oldkids neck. Oldkid sidestepped the slash, but Jack turned around and swung slash after slash, refusing to give up despite the pain his body obviously felt

All through the constant dodging, Oldkid looked at Jack with dull, emotionless eyes and a small smile. He seemed to be unimpressed, bored, almost disgusted at Jack as the red haired assassin refused to give up

"Oh Jack, when will you realise?" Oldkid sighed, shaking his head

In a flash, Oldkid flickered his hand out, and grabbed Jack by the forearm. He did with such precision and speed that Jack was left frozen in shock. Before he got force his arm free, Oldkid sent a hard jab right into Jacks stomach. Jacks whole body lurched from the force of the punch, his mouth spewing blood, he dropped the knife onto the floor

"You…. will never be in me or Nukids league…" Oldkid stated "…you've struggled for all these years…holding in all your hatred and anger until the day you could face and kill Nukid….and yet here we are, and you can't do a fucking thing!"

"Sh….shut up…" Jack coughed, blood spilling down his mouth. He was almost certain his intestines had been smashed through, despite his Pacifista body

"You should've died in that sewer, but God decided to torment and keep you alive!…..But don't worry Jack, all your struggle and anguish will end now….." Oldkid said softly

At that moment, a horrible memory flashed before Nukids eyes

_**1 year ago...**_

"_In the end, gods are liars and traitor! And you've just been betrayed by the god you worshipped all your life!" Oldkid mocked. He raised his arm, and seemingly aimed it at Yamazru's heart_

"_I have no guilt taking your life, you worthless bag of shit!" Oldkid roared, swinging his arm like a sword straight towards Yama's heart_

"_NO!!" Nukid shouted, suddenly appearing, and grabbing Oldkids hand before it could hit Yama. Nukid held the hand, fighting for dear life to stop it hitting Yama_

_Oldkid raised an eyebrow "Nukid? Why do you wanna save him? Have you forgotten he tried to kill you not long ago?"_

"_But…he's….your ally!…What reason do you have….to kill him?!" Nukid said between pants_

_Oldkid just shrugged "Who needs a reason? I kill because I think its fun. Unlike you Nukid, I don't need a reason"_

"_You….you sick fuck! I won't let you kill him!" Nukid spat_

"_Are you trying to save him because you care for his life, or is it because you couldn't save Maria?" Oldkid asked bluntly_

_Nukid froze at this statement, bringing up the woman he had failed to save. It was a trick on Oldkids part. He brought her up, and compared her death to this_

_Oldkid saw his chance with Nukids guard down, and punched Nukid in the face, knocking him back into rubble. Oldkid turned back to Yama, and but a quick second, he sent his hand straight through Yamazaru's chest_

_Yamazaru gasped at the pain, and made groan noises as Oldkid reached in further with his hand. After a few seconds of searching, Oldkid seemingly found something_

"_Bingo! There you are" Oldkid laughed. He pulled his arm out, and in his hands, was Yamas heart_

_**End flashback**_

"Not again….." Nukid whispered fearfully, before charging forward at Oldkid "…NOT AGAIN!! LEAVE HIM ALONE OLDKID!!"

Oldkid cocked his head towards Nukid, raising an eyebrow. Nukid swung his left fist directly at Oldkids face, but Oldkid blocked with the back of his free hand. Nukid retaliated with a swinging kick to the face, but Oldkid effortlessly grabbed it by the heel

"Saving your enemy again? You know, when someone tries to kill you, saving his or her life isn't usually the normal response" Oldkid pointed out

Nukid growled "Jack had every right to wish death upon me. And if you killed him….then his death would still be my fault!"

Oldkid at first said nothing to this, almost as if he was examining the situation. After a moment, Oldkid began to snigger "oh I see how it is Nukid……I understand now"

Before Nukid could react, Oldkid pushed Nukids leg aside and sent his palm directly at Nukids chest. Nukid felt the breath escape his lungs as he was thrown flying backwards, landing onto the hard ground several feet away

"Despite all the things Jack has done to you…..you can't kill him, because if he died……it would just be like Maria all over again! You lost Maria because of you were ignorant, and if you lost Jack, it would've been YOUR fault as well!" Oldkid stated, before rubbing his cheek in thought

"Come to think of it though…..when Maria died….you killed hundreds of soldiers in a glorious massacre!" Oldkid laughed, but when he looked at Nukid, his expression became sinister, devious and excited. He was planning something, something horrific

"Let's see what you'll do this time" Oldkid whispered with a sick smile

Nukid groggily looked up, and gasped when he saw Oldkid raise his arm over his head, and held it like a snake about to pounce on its prey

Nukid knew exactly what he was going to do

In a rush, Nukid tried to get himself back up to his feet, but Oldkids last attack had literally took the air out of him, which-along with his other injuries-caused his movements to be groggily and difficult.

Nukid managed to get to his feet, and he tried to use Soru, but the strength escaped him and he could barely run as Oldkid held his hand towards Jacks chest

"No…no…no…no…no!" Nukid panted as he tried to run "stop it Oldkid! NO!"

Too late

Jack felt the muscular hand of Oldkid stab itself directly into his chest. Jack couldn't resist the pain, it took over and destroyed all his senses, leaving the assassin in an almost dream like state. All he did was let small groans out when he felt Oldkid twist and turn his hand inside his chest

Perhaps it was the extreme pain that caused it, or the simple fact he understood his fate, but just then, Jacks short life flashed before his eyes….

_**9 years ago….**_

We see a very young Jack, no younger than 8, walking down a big street in some town on the shore of an island. The young Jack stomped along the street, scowling as several adults looked in his directions, showing even bigger scowls

"That's him isn't it? The nephew of that Red Haired Pirate" one adult whispered

"He's related to Red Haired Shanks?! Christ, why hasn't the government killed him yet?" another whispered

"I hear it's because they don't want the Red-haired pirates and his crew to openly oppose the World Government, like Whitebeard. Right now, Shanks doesn't seem interested in taking the Marines on" the first adult replied

"Man…..lord knows what kind of monster that boy will grow up to be. He'll become just like his uncle"

Enraged, Jack quickened the pace and ran away, his pride trying to hide the tears he had in his eyes. All his live he had been judged the way, simply because he happened to be related to an evil pirate! No one bothered to learn more about him personally

"I hate them all…." Jack whispered, growling in anger "…and most of all, I hate Shanks, and all pirates! I'll prove to everyone that I'm nothing like them!"

_**All my life, I've always been driven by hatred…..**_

We now see Jack as he charged forward in his first battle, gunshots and explosions going off all around him. He gripped his rifle as he aimed forward, and shot an incoming pirate in the shoulder

When the pirate fell to the ground, Jack leaped on top of him, and took the knife from his belt. He proceeded to stab the pirate over and over around his body, even after the pirate had died

_**Hatred towards others was my motivation for joining the Navy, and for those who opposed the World Government…**_

A mental image of Nukid and Maria, both during their days at CP9 academy, a smile on both their faces as they looked forward

_**The only time in my life I was truly happy was when I was with Matt and Maria…the only friends I've ever had**_

We now see Jack as a teenager, fully recovered from his operation in becoming a Pacifista. He stood in the AF world, looking towards the Author Fighters HQ

Behind him, was Pacifista PX3

"I swear…." Jack growled "…I will kill you Matt"

_**And yet, one of them became the centre of my all my hatred……my only purpose in life**_

"And twist….and turn…and yank!" Oldkid sang through the motions as he moved his hand through his chest. With a tug, Oldkids hand flew out of Jack heavily bleeding chest. Jack let out one final groan of pain

In Oldkids hand, was Jacks heart……

Oldkid released his grip of Jack, and allowed the near dead assassin to fall to the ground. Jack laid on the floor motionlessly, similar to how Yamazaru was left to die. Unlike Yama however, Jack had only seconds to live

In his final breath, Jack had one final thought. A thought that made him smile

_**Strange…..I don't feel angry anymore**_

Nukid sank to his knees; all the energy he had left went in but a mere second. His skin went ghostly pale as he looked towards the dead body of Jack, his body trembled and he felt unable to speak

"J…Jack…." Nukid trembled, his body shaking like it was cold. His eyelids began to form running tears in his eyes

He had failed to save someone…..again

"Hmm" Oldkid hummed, throwing Jacks heart to his side "wow, a smile. I rarely get that from one of my kills!"

Oldkid turned his head towards the trembling Nukid, and the Darkside smiled mischievously "a rather…..unfitting face for a such a pathetic individual"

Nukids trembling stopped instantly. His eyes became narrow, and full of anger. He looked directly towards Oldkid, gritting his teeth as he looked, while his breathing became louder and quicker. It was like he was trying to hold in something, something explosive and mad

He couldn't keep it in

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Nukid screamed, louder than he ever had in a long time. A scream of anger, rage and murderous intent

Before Oldkid could react, Nukid suddenly ran up to him and punch him in the face so hard the Darkside was sent flying back! Oldkid smashed the ground when he landed, on closer inspection his nose had just been broken

Before Oldkid knew it, Nukid jumped on top of him, stopping the Darkside from getting back up, and swung his left fist straight into Oldkids cheek. The force of the punch made the grond tremor, and blood spewed from Oldkids mouth

Nukid didn't relent, instead he sent punch after punch directly at Oldkids face, each time causing more and more blood to spill from the Darksides angled face. Nukid did not stop for one second, he COULDN'T stop! He kept on punching and punching, his rage had taken over

"I'LL KILL YOU!! I'LL KILL YOU!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Nukid half screamed, half sobbed as he continued to punch down at the Darksides face "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE OLDKID!!!!"

* * *

Sasuke watched in open shock as the ex assassin Nukid wailed punch after punch towards Oldkids face. Even from this distance Sasuke could feel the tremors from the force of the punches, and was amazed Oldkids face hadn't been crushed!

As Sasuke watched, he lamented how Nukid fought solely on rage, solely on the intent to kill and the desire for revenge

He then realised he and Nukid were very similar, in some ways…..

Sasuke turned his attention towards Oldkid, and the shock on Sasukes face only grew wider. It was already bewildering enough that Oldkid wasn't even trying to fight back, but the expression Oldkid gave only shocked the Uchiha even more

For during the onslaught of heavy punches, Oldkid was smiling…..

* * *

For what must've been the thirtieth straight punch to the face, Nukid only then stopped punching, but his anger had not subsided. Instead he raised his hand over his head, his first finger aimed directly down at Oldkids left eye

"I'll….Stab both your eyes out!" Nukid roared, "I'll tear your arms off! I crush your legs! I'll rip out all your organs! I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE!!"

"Ha ha ha…"

Nukid froze in surprise and confusion. Did Oldkid just….laugh?

"Ha ha….ha ha ha ha!…" Oldkids laughter grew louder and stronger "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Nukid stared down in horror as the Darksides face became mad and excited with unrestrained laughter and excitement "THAT'S IT!! THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT!!! THAT'S THE KINDA TALK I WANNA HEAR FROM YOU!!"

Oldkid suddenly grabbed Nukid by the collar of his jacket, and pulled him up closer "I'm so happy to see you like this!I knew since the day I was born, that this was the kind of person you REALLY were!"

"W-What?"

"You…. you may look at me with disgust and contempt, but the second you truly lose your cool…." Oldkid let out another cackle "…you become a mad beast like me!"

"Sh-Shut up!"

"Don't deny it! You spent so many years training on how to kill, killing is all you know, just like me!" Oldkid stated.

His word echoed in Nukids head

_**Killing is all I know….**_

"The madness and desire to kill that fuels me lives inside you too!"

_**Lives inside me too…..**_

"Killing is what you're good at, killing is your only true talent! Don't you get it? The reason you can't beat me is because you're subconsciously holding back!"

_**Holding back…..**_

"When Maria died, you lost it and killed hundreds of soldiers! But don't you see Nukid…." Oldkid said, pointing to himself "…THAT FIT OF RAGE GAVE BIRTH TO ME!! I was BORN on that night! I AM your inner madness incarnated!"

**_My madness…incarnated…_**

Oldkid released his grip on Nukids collar, and rested on the ground "stop holding back Nukid, and EMBRACE your killing desires like I have!! That is what makes you strong!"

Oldkid smiled madly as excitement took over "So go on Nukid! Do all those things you said you'd do to me! Stab my eyes out! Tear my arms off! Crush my legs! Rip out my organs! JUST DO IT!!"

By now, the anger that had taken over him and caused him to go berserk on Nukid, had completely left the ex assassin. Now, all he could do was looked down at Oldkid, shaking in fear and inner denial at what his Darkside had just said

Oldkid waited in excited anticipation for several long seconds, but it became evident to him Nukid had lost all of his anger, and was now just a scared child

Oldkid gave him a disappointed look "how disappointing…."

Nukid felt Oldkid punch him directly in the gut so hard his whole body was paralysed. Nukid was sent flying back, landing several feet away from the Darkside, landing with a hard crash. As Nukid got up, he felt an intense pain in his chest, followed by blood almost puking from his mouth

He was certain he was suffering massive internal bleeding, just from one punch

Oldkid suddenly appeared beside Nukid with Soru, and grabbed the Author by the neck. He held him up in the air, never losing his disappointed smile

"I can't believe it…." Oldkid whispered as he tightened his grip "….you got me so excited, only to completely disappoint me and become a fucking wuss!…..You know I can't let this go unpunished"

In a split second, Oldkid sent a fist straight at Nukids face, and sending the Author crashing to the ground. Nukid groggily lied on the ground, his face now covered with blood running from his mouth

Smiling, Oldkid grabbed Nukid by his left hand, and….

CRUNCH

"AAAAH!!" Nukid screamed in agony, truly feeling the pain this time as his entire left hand was crushed. Blood seeped from the squashed hand as it crunched in Nukids grip

Not relenting, Oldkid pulled Nukid back up to his feet, only to punch the assassin straight in the face once again. Nukids body flew back, but Oldkid didn't let go of his crushed hand, and the Darkside pulled him back, only to send a knee to his chest

"Come on…..come on….where is that hatred now?" Oldkid whispered, continuing to punch Nukid over and over, each time creating a new painful injury on the Author

* * *

Sasuke continued to watch as now, his master Oldkid continued to beat the hell out of Nukid. The beating didn't disturb Sasuke; he had seen FAR more disturbing things in his life

But one look at Nukids beaten body was enough to send a shiver down even him

Sasuke looked at Nukid as Oldkid continued to wale blow after blow on the Author. The injuries Nukid gave Oldkid were nothing compared to what Oldkid was doing to Nukid. Sasuke wouldn't have been surprised if the face injuries left him permanently disfigured

Sasuke looked at his expression during this horrible beating. He remembered Oldkids sick smile when he was getting pummelled, and Nukid certainly wasn't smiling. However, neither did he show any signs that he was in agony either

It was the face of a man who had given up…..

* * *

By the thirtieth blow, Nukid was barely conscious. He couldn't concentrate, his sight was blurry and he couldn't say anything. Though they may have been due to his swollen eyes and mouth

Oldkid released his grip of Nukids now crushed hand, but in a quick second sent a flying boot straight at his face, sending him flying in the air and onto the ground. Nukid did not move after that. He simply sat on the ground. His face swollen and bruised, his left arm crushed, his left shoulder smashed and his mouth spewing blood

Oldkid walked slowly up to Nukids badly beat body, and he simply stared down at the Author, shaking his head "I am so confused Nukid. I always believed you were a truly strong individual, and I held you in high regard. But now look at you…..you're just a defeated soldier who's gotten so scared of the prospect of killing……is this really the person I was CREATED from?!"

"And yet….." Oldkid retorted himself "…A minute ago you showed a mad, untameable beast that would kill anything that got close, and I was so amazed by it! That was the Nukid I truly admired!!"

Oldkid once again grabbed Nukid, this time by the collar. He lifted him up with his left hand, and held on to keep Nukid up. Nukids eyes were blurred, but he could see the image of Oldkid lifting his left arm

He was going to tear his heart out….

Oldkid however didn't. Instead he slowly moved his hand towards the centre of his chest, and placed the fingertips on his skin "It looks like I'm going to have to test you…"

Nukids body jerked and the assassin groaned as Oldkid fingers pierced his chest. They sank deeper and deeper. It wasn't like a Shigan, which was quick and like a gunshot. It was slow, painful and gory

By the time his fingers were halfway in his chest, Oldkid pulled them out, and let go of Nukid. Nukid instantly collapsed onto the ground, the pain had made it near impossible for him to move, while blood continued to seep out from his new wound

"The test is simple Nukid…" Oldkid said "…if you have really given up, then you'll die right here! However, if you haven't given up and you're willing to fight me once again…well then you'd better get to a hospital quick!"

Oldkid turned his body around, and began to walked away from the slowly dying Nukid. However-as if he'd forgotten something-Oldkid turned back to Nukid

"By the way though…." Oldkid said, his voice unnaturally serious "…if you do die now….then I will personally take out my frustration on your Author friends…..and I will make sure all your precious friends are there to keep you company in the afterlife!!"

Both Nukid and Oldkid then felt drips of water hit their bodies. Oldkid looked up and opened his hand

"Huh….it's raining" Oldkid mused, before turning to Nukid "well Nukes, don't disappoint me! Ta ta!"

And with that, Oldkid left. Leaving nothing but death and agony

The rain began to grow faster and stronger, the sky began to crack thunder, and the pool of blood Nukid laid in diluted and got bigger thanks to the fast and furious rain. Nukid laid motionless, but he was not unconscious

_Gotta…move…gotta…move…_Nukid constantly thought to himself, but it was hopeless. The severe pain and bloodless made it impossible for the Author to move

_**It can't….end like this…**_

Nukid saw several of his friends in the Author Fighters, like X Prodigy, Dawn, Phoenix, Ranger, Dark and DW flashed before his eyes. Smiling at him in his own image

_**Everyone's…..counting on me…..everyone…..will be upset if it ended now….**_

The Author Fighters disappeared from his sight, and only Sofia appeared before his eyes

_**Sofia….she's already lost her sister…..she can't lose me as well…**_

Sofia disappeared from his view too, and was replaced by only one person, who smiled childishly at Nukid

Monkey D. Luffy

_**I….promised him….that I'd make this world better…..**_

Nukid closed his eyes, his body relaxed in the pool of his own blood, while the rain continued to pour down on him

_**I'm sorry everyone…..**_

Nukid stopped breathing

* * *

**.....No comment. Stay tuned**


	18. The FREAK Unit

Remember how I said I'd post this the day after I posted Nostalgia Kid?….Yea. Enjoy

* * *

"YOU DID WHAT?"

Jiro stood in the Castle Doran living room, on the receiving end of two very pissed off glares from Dawn and Phoenix. Jiro had just broken the news to the two, that Nukid had left the safety of Castle Doran and gone to face Jack

Jiro sighed "those World Government bastards had taken the bastards woman. If you saw the fire in his eyes, you'd nothing know could've been done to stop him. Besides, it's his fault for not thinking she'd be a target"

"…..Dawn" Phoenix said plainly

"I'm looking away" Dawn said, before she turned around looking away from Jiro. Jiro nervously looked back and forth between the two female authors

"Wh..what are you two doi.."

"YOU IDIOT!" Phoenix shouted before punching Jiro straight in the jaw. Jiro head jerked back at the force of the punch, and the wolfen was sent flying backwards, landing at the opposite end of the living room

For a moment, Jiro lied motionless on the floor. Slowly, he sat back up, rubbing his red cheek, and glaring daggers right at Phoenix "Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"How could you do something so stupid? Nukid himself said how important it was to stay in Castle Doran! You should've stopped him!" Phoenix scolded

"You don't understand woman!" Jiro snarled. But then, his face almost instantly calmed down, looking down solemnly at the ground "you should've seen the kids eyes…even if you'd been there, you couldn't have stopped. He was determined to help his girlfriend no matter what the cost"

"How is Sofia by the way?" Phoenix asked Dawn. It had been Sofia, coming to Castle Doran by herself, that made Dawn and Phoenix realise Nukid was gone

"We told her to lie down and rest. I felt sorry for her, she must've gone through a lot" Dawn mumbled sorrowfully

"Sounds to me like that Nukes fucked up again" boomed a cocky and sarcastic voice from the living room entrance. Dawn, Phoenix and Jiro quickly turned to see Ranger24, leaning by the doorway. He let out a sigh before walking to the group "I figured someone would crack and leave Castle Doran, but Nukes was the last guy I thought would leave. Not after his big lecture"

"Ranger, what should we do now?" Phoenix asked the Twilight warrior. Now that Nukid was gone, there were only two people left qualified to lead the Author Fighters, Ranger24 and Agent Liberi. Liberi was an obvious choice considering his several years of military experience. Ranger however was the strongest member of the Author Fighters, and more than once he'd been put in charge of the group in DarkMagicianmons absence. Add to fact that both of them were as hard as nails, and they were ideal leaders

"Ain't it obvious? You guys stay here, and I'll go look for him" Ranger stated casually, shocking Phoenix and Dawn instantly. The Twilight warrior said so quickly and plainly, almost like he'd forgotten just _what_ kind of danger he'd put himself

"But….Nukid said we shouldn't leave Castle Doran" Dawn pointed out with a soft voice, due to the fact she herself didn't wanna stay in Castle Doran

"Yea, and he REALLY set a good example, didn't he?" Rangr scoffed, standing up straight, he walked into the living room "look, since we don't know where the boss is, there's nothing we can do right now to help him. But without Nukes…we're fucked. He understands the enemy better than anyone"

"But it's dangerous Ranger! They've got CP9 agents crawling over the city!" Phoenix said urgently, trying to force this cold hard fact into the Twilight warrior

"Pfft, I've got my sword, I've got my gun, and I've got my badass personality. I'll be fine" Ranger said in a uniquely reassuring tone. The two female authors didn't reply to Rangers confident retorts. Without saying a word, Phoenix stepped forward, a confident and unrelenting expression on her face

"In that case…I'm going with you" Phoenix stated firmly. Her expression said it all, she would not relent on this or be dissuaded

Jiro looked up at the young, and let out an amused chuckle "Tch, you guys have got death wishes….risking your lives for that baka…"

"And I'll go too" Dawn interrupted Jiro, stepping forward with an equally determined face. Jiro was left shocked, his jaw dropped after the young Werewolves sudden outburst

"W-w-w-wait a minute Dawn! You can't go with these guys! If you three go out there, you'll get killed!" Jiro pleaded to Dawn frantically. Now a complete opposite to how he was a second ago

"That's why we'll go with them!" the young and optimistic voice of Kitten Hachi-Chan bellowed out into the living room. The four already occupying the room turned suddenly to the door, seeing not just Kitten, but Hurricane Quill, Agent Liberi, DW64, Roscoso and Snake Screamer

"We were all walking by, and we caught word of what you were talking about. Let us all come with you! We want to help Nukid too!" Kitten pleaded to the four, who looked uneasily at each other at the prospect of bringing more people on this search. Ranger snarled at the group, evidently annoyed by their demand to accompany him on his search. To him, they would just get in the way

"Christ…I said I'm gonna look for Nukes, and then everyone and their grandmas wants to join" Ranger grumbled "look, I'm going alone. If too many of us go we'll get spotted by those CP9 fucktards"

"That's why I suggest we split up and search different areas of the city alone" Liberi proposed, speaking in his always calm and somewhat emotionless tone "that way, we're both not drawing attention to ourselves, and we're broadening our search"

"Besides, it's not like we're sending the whole team out. If it's just us few then we shouldn't attract too much attention" DW64 added. Ranger silently stared at the group, silently thinking over the idea of them joining through his mind over and over

With a defeated sigh, Ranger said, "fine, you can all come too. I'm leaving now, so get ready"

"Good" Liberi nodded in compliance. Liberi made a turn out of the room and down the corridor to prepare his gear, but the former freelancer stopped in his tracks and turned back to the group

"Almost forget…..one of you go get X Prodigy" Liberi mumbled "him and Nukid are like brothers. He'll want to help find him"

* * *

The man with the clown-like mask walked down a dark alley

The monstrous man walked slowly, almost clumsily down the alley as he stepped over the newly dead corpses lying on the ground. Both the white clothes and blood across the corpses bodies and the masked mans huge sword illuminated the dark alley. As he walked, he grumbled to himself, his face seemingly looking down like a depressed man

"Damn…..I killed without thinking again…..it's such a pain" the clown masked monster mumbled under his breath, his voice like that of a child who has just done something wrong. Had it been under an entirely different situation, you might have felt sorrow for the creature with such a sad and guilty voice

"Oi, I finally found you Xenethis!"

The clown masked monster came to a halt, but did not turn around to the loud and obnoxious voice that boomed from behind him. Had he turned around, he would've seen the blue haired Arrancar Grimmjow, sitting on top of the alley as he smugly looked down on the clown masked monster, his right hand holding the hilt of his blade

Grimmjow smiled smugly down at the Clown "you were a real pain in the ass to find Xenethis! Oldkid said you were around, but to find you in this dark alley is a shocker!" Grimmjow then looked down at the newly corpses, his grin never leaving and showing no fear or horror at the scene. In fact, it seemed to make him laugh "don't remember you being such a sociopath Xenethis! What, did these guy make fun of you mask?"

"Xe….Xenethis…" the clown masked man whispered, never looking at Grimmjow. He stared downwards at the ground, his head shaking as he whispered over and over "..Oldkid…Xenethis Oldkid…Xenethis Oldkid…Xenethis Oldkid!"

"Hmm? What the fuck you muttering abou-" Grimmjow cut himself on mid sentence as the clowned man slowly turned towards him, looking up directly at the Arrancar. Grimmjow stared silently at the masked man, his mouth open in surprise as he stared down at him. Clearly, something was not right in Grimmjows eyes

"Oi….oi oi oi! Xenethis never had a clown mask!" Grimmjow spat angrily. Growling, he got up and got back onto his feet, staring angrily down at the clown "and here's me thinking I'd hit the fucking jackpot! Damn it all, I'm outta her-"

Grimmjow was only a second in time to dodge the Clown masked monsters' sword from crashing down on him and slicing him in two. Grimmjow jumped backwards on instinct alone, falling down as he narrowly dodged the attack, which destroyed the brick wall without any difficulty. Grimmjow stared at the clown masked monster with a shocked expression, but deep down he was prepared for another attack

To his surprise, the attack never came. Instead, the clown had dropped his sword, and was proceeding to bang his head over and over into what was left standing of the bricked wall. The monster made groaning noises as he smashed his head, but not seemingly from pain. It was almost as if he was frustrated at himself, like he had done something he regretted deeply

"No! What's wrong with me? He knows where Oldkid is! Why am I trying to kill him?" the clown masked monster cried out, continuingly smashing his head into the wall. Eventually, he stopped, turned to Grimmjow, and began walking slowly towards, his walking almost zombie like, slow but menacing

"I can't stop it….." the clown masked man whispered, still drawing ever closer to Grimmjow "…it's not fair. I have a mission to complete….I need to find Oldkid and Xenethis….and yet every time I see someone, my urge to kill takes over! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

With a mighty lunge, the clown masked man destroyed the gap between the two, and sent his sword crashing down onto the fallen Grimmjow. This time, Grimmjow was able to unsheathe his sword and block the attack, but the Arrancar showed great difficulty keeping his sword up. The earth shook when their swords collided, and Grimmjow was holding his hilt with both hands, his hands shaking from the sheer force coming from his enemies attack

"Please….tell me where Oldkid is quick! Tell me before I kill you!" the clown masked man begged "Please! I need to find him! Rasets told me he could help me on my mission! I beg of you, tell me before I kill you!"

"What…..the fuck is…..wrong with you?" Grimmjow growled, still trying to keep his blade in place to block the attackers incredibly strong attack. Grimmjow still had enough energy to give the assailant one very angry expression "you're trying to ask for my help AND kill me at the same time? Are you bloody retarded?"

The Clown masked assailant did not reply this time. Instead, Grimmjow could hear what started as a low growling, but slowly got louder and louder. But that was not the most obvious thing. No, what was most obvious was that whit glow that slowly started to radiate around the monster, shimmering at first, but soon engulfing the creature body, its own energy increasing and becoming more violent every second

Grimmjow was obviously surprised at first, but when he felt the white energy close to his body, a glance of recognition sprouted on his face, and his surprise only intensified. Something about this white energy seemed familiar to the Arrancar

"Can't keep it in….I just can't keep this urge in" the clown masked monster sobbed, but almost right away, that sobbing turned into a small, mad chuckle "I guess I should….just embrace my addiction this once….you must be really tough man. My urge hasn't….felt so hungry in a long time"

"This feeling…..this spiritual energy you're producing…" Grimmjow whispered, his face in open shock "…it's like a Hollows spiritual energy! Just what the hell are you?"

"Who am I?…" the clown masked man repeated in a chuckle "…I am Mach The Knife, killing is my addiction; AND THIS ADDICTION FEELS GOOD!"

* * *

"Allright Ramon; one more time!"

Ramon nodded to X Prodigy from the other side of the kitchen. In Ramons hands were three white plates, to which the small Merman prompty threw up into the air in quick succession. With lightning quick reflexes, X took out Dusk and equally quickly shot all three plates, breaking them into small pieces which fell onto the floor, scattered around with other broken pieces of glass. Obviously, this wasn't the first time they'd done this

"Heh, Deadshot be damned, I've still got my skills!" X cheered triumphently, spinning Dusk around his fingers before placing it back into its pouch

Ramon knelt down and picked up a broken piece of glass "Jiro's gonna get mad when he know's you broke most of our plates"

"Pfft, what's he gonna do? Throw me out a window?" X laughed

Ramon stared blankly at him

"I..er…I'm sure he won't be that bothered. Worst comes to worst I can just blame it on Nuki-" X Prodigy stopped talking mid sentence, his entire body almost freezing on the spot. Ramon stared suspiciously at the stiff Devil, noticing that the masked Author slowly started to tremble "what's up X?"

"I…I..don't know….I…" X prodigy voice trembled. With his trembling hands, he grabbed both sides of his head, which also shook too. Ramon could hear his breath get louder, and even though he couldn't see his face, he could tell his expression was one of pain "this….pain…..ringing in my head….i've never…"

"_Why didn't you join the Espada ranks Xenethis?" _asked a female voice

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" X Prodigy screamed, swinging his head up as he screamed louder than he's ever screamed before. The pain ringing in his head and the voice he heard inside his mind caused the masked author to cry out in pain, before eventually collapsing onto the floor, unconscious before he even hit the ground

"Oi oi, X!" Ramon cried out, quickly rushing to the Authors side. He nudged the Author by the shoulder, over and over to try and get him up, but the masked author never responded. He remain quiet, unconscious from the pain that had just overcome him

Interestingly enough, this happened at the same time Mach and Grimmjow had clashed swords…

* * *

"I don't like this" Jiro grumbled for the seventh time

Dawn rolled her eyes "I get it. You don't like Nukid. You want him dead. Just shut up and keep on walking" Jiro muttered under his breath, but did not complain any further. He followed his girlfriend down the street leading to the LA park, a large area covered mostly by large trees. The sky was bright and the day was early, but to both Werewolves relief, they seemed to have been undetected by the CP9

"It's not like I want him dead, it's just that I don't like you risking your life to save him" Jiro eventually retorted. You could tell he was trying to get back on Dawns good side "if he's still alive, I'll kill him for putting you in danger"

"Nukid would risk his life to save me" Dawn stated. The two entered the through the front gate of the park, opening up the large park of tall trees and green grass "allright, let's start searching this whole park"

"We should've stayed together with the rest of the Authors…" Jiro mumbled, "…we'd be safer, and searching this park would be easier"

"We split up so we could search the whole city and cover more area. Nukid could be anywhere in this city" Dawn explained, before affectionately pulling Jiro arm "besides, I don't have to worry. I've got you to look after me, haven't I?"

Jiro smiled down at Dawn "Touché. All right, let's see if that bastard's in this park" With that, Jiro and Dawn walked down the man made path leading into the park, beginning their search of the whole park

They were oblivious to the person watching them from the shadows

"Werwolves…." The man whispered in a mad-like chuckle. He hid close to the end of the street, watching the two werewolves intensely. On closer inspection, you could see it was actually a teenager with greasy black hair that went down to his neck. He was dressed in all black like a CP9 operative, and he smiled widely, showing sharp fangs

And of course, his blood red eyes

"Werwolves…..they're really werewolves! Oldkid wasn't lying!" the CP9 agent sniggered, trying hard not to get too overexcited and shout. He did not want Dawn and Jiro to see him just yet "Perfect…perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect! Rook didn't kill them all…he failed! This is perfect!"

The red-eyed CP9 agent stepped out of the shadows, walking slowly towards the park entrance. As he walked, the skin around his mouth began to crack like broken glass, like his whole face could crack and break into tiny shards. The boys face never changed from its sadistically excited expression

"This is perfect….I will succeed where Rook failed, and kill the Werewolf race!"

* * *

DW64 had a hard time getting himself through the busy crowds

DW64 had agreed to the north of the city, but that meant having to go through the busy crowds of the shopping district before getting there. And unlike his comrades, DW didn't have any powers like flying, and he didn't want people spotting him jumping roof to roof. So his only option was to walk through the busy crowds

DW64 growled as he was bumped hard into the shoulder for the fifth time. Manoeuvring through this busy street was hard enough, but doing that WHILE trying to keep his katana and guns-which he'd done best to hide under his coat-was frustrating.

Still, DW had to admit there was one upside to this; while he was in these crowds, there was no worry he might get attacked by the CP9. The CP9 had seemed to be careful not to draw attention to themselves to the public. It was far more likely they'd attack him in far quieter streets. In that, DW was able to sigh a breath of relief that he could somewhat relax for the moment

Or so he thought…

The sun beat down on DW, and in this large crowd that made him feel trapped in an oven. He put his hand over his eyes to block out the sun, but decided to look up at the sky, and smile at how nice the weather was today

What he saw when he looked however made him freeze instantly. Standing on the building at the end of the street was a figure. Despite the considerable distance between them, DW training at NOL had given enough skill to see clearly who he was looking at

The figure was a teenage male-about his age- with spiky white hair and a pair of black sunglasses. He wore all black, save for his brown trenchcoat, and he had his arms lifted up, almost seemingly aimed down towards DW64 and the crowd. Fear suddenly sparked through the former NOL officer. For he saw that the boys' arms changed shape, and several shapes that looked like gun barrels

"GET DOWN!" DW shouted at the top of his lungs, towards the whole crowd. DW knew that this figure was aiming at the entire crowd, but this was all DW could do before jumping to the side, ducking behind a wall that lead to a small alleyway

Only mere seconds later, the figure fired several blasts down onto the road, and the street was blown up in mere seconds with mighty bangs. People screamed and cried out in pain, several dozens were caught between the brutal onslaught of blasts hailed down on them by the figure

When it was all done and the blasts stopped, DW slowly peaked his head out onto the street. To his dismay, the once loud and bustling street was now as silent as a graveyard, filled only with debris, a strange gas, and near hundreds of corpses

"Damn it…" DW growled, smashing the wall next to him. He knew there wasn't much he could've done, but he still felt guilt inside that these innocent people were brutally murdered. DW was however snapped out of his horror, when a survivor of the attack had crawled over and grabbed him by the foot. He was a large round man in his 50s, a bushy moustache across his face….both of his legs had been completely blown off

"H..help me!" the man begged. DW was about to reach to help the man, but suddenly, black pentacles began to form across the person face, the man suddenly groaning as the pentacles spread across him.

And then, he began to crumble. DW watched in horror as the mans face began to fall off like sand. He saw that it wasn't just his face, but his hands and seemingly his whole body was crumbling to ashes slowly at first, but quickly his entire body crumbled quickly, until the man was now just a pile of ash. DW pushed himself back, his mind racing in thought, trying to figure out why that man had just crumbled like that!

And then he realised…..it was the gas that was spreading across the street

Instinctively, DW grabbed his shirt and held it to his mouth and nose. He held it on tightly, making sure none of the poisonous gas entered him and caused his body to crumble. Carefully, DW peaked his head back out. This time, he looked straight upwards, towards the figure who still stood on top of the building at the end of the street

The white haired figure must've noticed him, because he then boomed "I see you survived my first attack. I assumed if my attacks didn't hit you head on, the gas would get you. I praise your good luck"

DW growled beneath his shirt, clenching his other fist, before reaching into his coat for his Two Barrel Shotgun. At the range between them, there was not much this weapon could do

"I suppose you assumed that you wouldn't get attacked when in massive crowds" the white haired figure said. His voice was emotionless, yet at the same time mocking, like he was looking down on DW "smart move. It is true that the grunts in the CP9 are forbidden from killing bystanders"

The white haired teenagers arms changed shaped again, back into the shape of several gun barrels spread across his arms. He aimed them down in the direction of DW64, who was cautiously on his feet, ready to spring out and dodge the attacks

"But you see, I happen to be a part of a special group, and we have special permission to kill as many people as necessary in order to complete our mission…..and kill you Author Fighters"

* * *

"_**I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, na na na na, **__**There they are all standing in a row**__**. **__**Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head**_" Oldkid sang cheerfully to himself, as he walked down a small street leading off not from where he'd 'left' Nukid. Sasuke silently trailed behind the Darkside, secretly wishing Oldkid would stop singing

"_**And it's so easy when you're evil…"**_ sang Voltaire, coming from Oldkids cell phone. Oldkid casually reached into his pocket and pressed the phone next to his ears "Hello! Oldkid here! Sociopath, psychopath and a fan of Looney Toons. How can I help?"

"_Oi Oldkid. Koudou here. It's been confirmed that some of the Author Fighters have came out of hiding. Pawn and Mala Makra couldn't wait, they've already gone to take our their targets_" Koudou said on the other side of the line

"Jolly good. The rest of you can go to your positions and take on your opponents" Oldkid replied cheerfully

"_Remember what you promised me Oldkid…I'll be seriously pissed off if you break your promise" _Koudou threatened, his voice was unusually hostile than normal

"Relax, relax. If all goes according to plan, things will go fine! Well then, good hunting!" Oldkid boomed, before pressing a button and cutting off the line

"What was all that about, Oldkid?" Sasuke asked the Darkside, who placed his cell phone back into his pocket

Oldkid looked at the Uchiha and smiled deviously "The FREAK Unit has made their move"

* * *

**And so, something we've all been waiting for, the "Author Fighters Vs. The FREAK Unit" Arc. The way I'll format this arc will be very different from how I did it in Zodiacs, so stay tuned! (And I promise I won't take as long this time)**


	19. Author Fighters Vs The FREAK Unit Part 1

Hey everyone. Another late chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

"Allright, we'll split up here" Hurricanes Quill said, looking down at Kitten Hachi-Chan. The two stood in a quiet street, ready to split up and look in different directions. Quill was pointing to his left, signalling to the direction Kitten should go.

"That heads towards the busy areas of L.A. Why would Nukid be around there?" Kitten asked sceptically.

Quill shook his head "we can't take any chances, DW is searching that area too. I know it doesn't seem logical that Nukid and that Jack guy would fight there but…..well this ain't the first time Nukid's done something illogical."

* * *

We cut to a time when Nukid was standing outside a cinema, looking up at a picture of the move; 'The Last Airbender'

"This is totally not gonna suck!" Nukid proclaimed optimistically.

* * *

"True. All right, I'll go look!" Kitten nodded in agreement. She turned and ran in the direction Quill had pointed, leaving the Exalted member of the AF alone. Quill smiled in Kittens direction, before looking forward and beginning to walk down the quiet road.

"She's finally gone. Now it's just you and me.

Quill was quick to react. He span around, holding his two double-barrelled revolvers Dragon Breaker and Akelela and aimed them straight ahead. When he turned, he saw the figure with the mysterious voice.

It was H.H, the FREAK unit agent who had earlier helped Jack lure Nukid out of hiding. He stood facing Hurricanes Quill, dressed in his brown coat over his black shirt and jeans. His long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

And of course, the metal grey visor that completely covered his eyes.

"Hey there Author Fighter" H.H. greeted cheerfully, but behind that cheeriness was open smug. He stepped closer to Quill "the name's H.H., and I'm the lucky bastard sent to kill you. Consider yourself proud you got me as your killer."

Quill held back the surging anger he felt, and merely smiled slightly "well aren't you a cocky bastard. Not very bright, you could've snuck up on me and attack without me knowing, just like most you villains fight."

"Technically, you're the villains in this story" H.H. sniggered, taking another step forward "and sneak up on you? Sure, if I was weak!"

H.H. almost went into hysteria. He continued to laugh loudly for several seconds, holding his left hand to his head as he laughed more and more. Quill growled underneath his breath, annoyed this figure was mocking him and laughing at him. But fortunately, the Exalted kept his cool and continued to aim his revolvers at H.H., who was seemingly starting to calm down.

"No no Author….the reason I didn't sneak up on you….is because I'm stronger than you!" H.H. boomed, before charging forward. Even though he didn't use soru, his speed was amazing, breaking the gap between them in but a second

"Shit!" Quill cursed, firing a bullet from Akelela straight at H.H. very close face. Despite the little distance between them, Quill could only gasp when H.H. easily dodge the lightning quick bullet with insane reflexes.

Quill staggeringly jump back and swung his right leg directly towards H.H. face, but the CP9 agent blocked it with his left forearm, grabbing the leg and pulling Quill forward slightly. Before Quill could react, H.H. had sent his left elbow directly into his stomach with such force that Quill felt the breath escape him immediately, the force of the hit being many times greater than the average person

Quill flew backwards, landing hard on his back onto the hard pavement. He landed directly next to the start of a small alleyway between two buildings. Quill groaned, rubbing his aching back, but stopped and almost froze when H.H. started to move forward, slowly, almost casually, towards Hurricane Quill.

"Told you, didn't I? You're not in my league mate. Accept I'm the superior here, and I'll end this quickly and painlessly!" H.H. suggested, smiling smugly at his looked down at Quill. Quill looked like he was ready to jump back up and go berserk on the assassin, but to H.H. surprise, he actually got up and ran into the alleyway.

"Well now, wasn't expecting this!" H.H. exclaimed, walking towards the alley "thought you Authors were the never give up kind of fighters. Guess I overestimated you punks."

H.H. walked right up to the alley and turned into it, but the assassin raised an eyebrow when he saw nobody. He hadn't walked slowly, he should've been able to still see him running down. Was there a another alley connected to this one that he couldn't see? H.H. decided to check, walking several steps in, looking left and right for any sign of Quill.

Had he looked behind, he would've seen Quill falling to the ground. Dragon Breaker aimed directly at the back of his skull.

Hurricanes Quill plan was simple, but seemingly effective. When he had turned into the alley, he had managed to jump and climb to the top of the building without being noticed by the assassin, and when H.H. had walked enough into the alley, he jump behind the Assassin and shoot him from behind.

Quill didn't like this way of fighting, but under the circumstances it seemed necessary. He did not want this fight to escalate and potentially harm bystanders that may pass by, even though the street had practically been deserted. Furthermore, the assassins seemed to have insanely high reflexes, even for a Rokushiki user, so fighting him normally was even harder. This was the quickest way of dealing with him.

Quill shot five rounds directly at H.H., expecting to see the assassin dead on the floor in but a few seconds.

But what happened next nearly made Quill drop his revolver in shock.

H.H. held all five bullets between his fingers, leaving him without a single wound. He expanded his fingers, and the bullets dropped to the floor. H.H. had not only caught five shots from Dragon Breaker from close range, but he had done it despite Quill being behind him.

And the strangest thing, was that H.H. hadn't even turned his head around…it was like he had eyes in the back of his head.

H.H. slowly turned around, smiling at the horrified Quill "nice try. Smart move trying to attack an opponents blind spot" H.H. held up his hands, holding them in a fighting stance.

"But unfortunately for you….I don't have a blind spot."

* * *

Kitten Hachi-Chan walked through the bustling streets of LA, having gone looking in the same direction as DW64. Like DW, Kitten had been faced with the painfully annoying ordeal of having to walk through the busy streets, getting pushed and knocked around by people passing closely by in this large gathering. Admittedly, since she wasn't as tall as DW, this was a little easier for her.

As Kitten passed through the crowd, she could hear bits of the conversations of all those passing by. At first she heard things completely unrelated to each other, and seemingly everyday things. However, as the minutes went by, she heard more and more people talk about the same thing, their voices showing open anxiousness and fear.

"Hey, did you hear what's happened not far from here?"

"The whole street was blown up! People nearby heard explosions!"

"The whole street's a wreck! No one dares go near though…..there's some weird gas floating around it."

"Do you think it was terrorists who did it?"

"Man….this is all too scary to think about!"

Kitten did her best to ignore them. She knew what her top priority was-finding Nukid-but deep down she knew that this had something to do with her friends. She could only look forward and believed that her friends would be okay. Determinedly, she kept on moving forward and looking straight ahead.

And then, out of the corner of her eyes…she saw Nukid.

She instantly spun towards where she saw Nukid walking, which was to her left. At first, she couldn't believe what she was seeing what she saw. It didn't seem logical that Nukid would be in such a busy place when he was supposedly fighting that Jack guy.

But, there he was, to the left of her. She couldn't see his face, but she could see the back of him, his hands in his pockets, as he walked away from her through the bustling crowds. Kitten promptly went after him, hoping not to lose him in the crowds. She followed Nukid for about a minute, before they both were suddenly out of the street crowd. Kitten looked back at the crowd in surprise, before turning back towards Nukids direction.

It then made sense, this way lead to a tall, brown-bricked building that stood beside similar buildings. Kitten looked at the building uncomfortably, all the windows had the shades drawn and could not be seen from the inside. The entire building felt lifeless and-though it was in an unusual location-haunted.

Kitten could not fathom why Nukid would enter this building, but as she had left the crowd, she had seen Nukid enter through the front door. With a sigh, she walked forward and entered via the same means. What she walked into was a dark room-due to the shaded windows-and a messy room. Junk was torn around the floor, and oddly enough, the walls and furniture had huge slashes across them. Walls with large cuts and some tables sawn in half! It was like some huge scuffle had taken place here.

But Kitten didn't look at all that. All she looked at was Nukid, standing in the centre of this room, looking away from Kitten.

"N..Nukid?" Kitten asked nervously. Walking forward, she spoke "what are you doing here? Everyone's worried about you-"

"Tell me…." Nukid suddenly spoke, turning around to look at Kitten. Kitten stopped and froze at the voice "…are all the Author Fighters so gullible?"

Kitten could not reply. Not only was his voice harsher and colder than usual….it was a womans voice.

"You followed me without caution or suspicion…how illogical" Kitten gasped as Nukids body slowly began to change. His hair become long and black, his body became thinner and like a womans, his eyes turned to dark black.

After the transformation stopped, it was not Nukid she was looking at, but a tall woman with long brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a black suit, and an emotionless expression. In a normal situation she would seem like an ordinary person, but she had just proven she was far from normal.

"W..who are you?" Kitten gasped, lifting her arms in preparation to fight off attacks. The woman had obviously caught her in shock, but it was not just that. Despite how normal she looked, the woman had a frightening presence, the emotionless face she wore piercing through Kitten hard and giving her shivers.

"How could you have not followed me without the slightest suspicion I may have been an enemy…such an irrational way of thinking is something I can't comprehend" the woman sighed, almost disappointingly. The woman then raised her left arm, pointing her fingers at the alert Kitten.

"Shigan…supea."

Kitten was alert, but even that didn't prepare her when the assassins fingers suddenly grew rapidly in length and shot out at her like bullets. Kitten managed only just to move to her left, but the Author cringed in pain as the womans extended thumb grazed her right arm. Kitten fell to the floor, clutching her bleeding arm.

"Not bad" the woman said again with her emotionless voice. She almost instantly retracted her fingers back and aimed them again at Kitten, this time at her forehead. They shot at lighting fast again, but this time Kitten managed to roll back in time, managing only just to dodge the razor sharp fingers.

Now perched directly next to an open door, leading off to another part of the building, Kitten could tell in this short space she did not have much of a chance. There was not enough room to manoeuvre around and dodge her attacks. It wasn't probably just her fingers, she seemed to able to change the shape of her entire body! This meant in this small space, she had the advantage.

Without a word, Kitten jumped back and ran down the corridor. Unlike H.H., the woman did not smile, or show signs of disappointment. Her expression never left a neutral stance, but she did walk into the corridor and follow the running Kitten, even though she knew Kitten was baiting her to a more advantageous area for her to fight. The assassin never lost her cool.

"You asked me what my name was. I suppose you have the right to know the name of your killer" the woman boomed down the corridor, making sure the moving author could hear her.

"My name is Alice Jansen. A former CIA agent from my world…and I am a Contractor."

* * *

Sometimes Liberi wondered if god was a sadist.

Liberi breathed heavily, holding his SRSD 99 Sniper Rifle up to his body, the barrel next to his left shoulder. For several minutes he had hid inside what was left of a small convenience store, the now deceased shop owner body sprawled across wreckage at the other of the room. When all the explosions came, he had hid here beside what was left of a wall. He was so out of breath he was near coughing, but for the love of god he kept himself from coughing. If he was to give his position away, he may very possibly die.

It had all happened so fast, even for the aged and experienced Freelancer. One second he was walking down the streets of L.A., a moderately busy one, with but a few shops on its premise. Even though it wasn't bustling, and Liberi never let his guard down-which effectively saved him-but he felt somewhat calmer there. He felt the CP9 wouldn't endanger the lives of innocents.

But then, in a hail of bullets and missiles, his worst fear had come true. And now….there was nothing on this street but corpses.

Liberi wiped his right cheek, where one bullet had grazed him. The bullets had fired like rain, so whatever the attacker was using was machine gun-like, not the best weapon to be up against. Still, for now he was not in immediate danger. The attacker hadn't seemingly spotted him in this corner yet.

But then, Liberi heard something hit the floor to his right. He looked down at where the noise came from…..It was a grenade.

God was definitely a sadist.

"Shit!" Liberi cursed, quickly rolling to his left to evade getting blow to bits. With a boom that shook the ground, the rest of the shop that was still standing gave in and became nothing but rubble. Liberi had moved out of the store in time, but he was still thrust forward by the force of the explosion, landing back on the corpse filled street.

Liberi-despite the aches and wounds across his body-quickly got back to his feet, his hands ready to swing his weapon in any direction. The second he saw something move, he would aim and shoot. He just hoped to god no survivors walked in the vicinity….

Suddenly, Liberi heard something big hit the ground behind him, and the Freelancer span around and aimed. But to the Freelancers horror, he found the barrel of his Sniper Rifle in the big right hand of his assailant, before being smacked quickly in the gut with the assailants' left hand. Liberi was literally thrown off his feet, landing several feet down the destroyed road.

Liberi moved as quick as he could back onto his feet slowly, turning his head directly forward at the Rokushiki master. When he saw what the CP9 agent was wearing, the Freelancer was almost frozen in shock.

The CP9 agent wore a black UNSC SPARTAN-II Armour…..the same as the legendary soldier Master Chief.

"Freelancer Agent Liberi…..I am glad to have had this opportunity to meet you" the SPARTAN/CP9 agent spoke for the first time. It was a young female voice. Liberi had no words of his own, but simply aimed his Sniper Rifle forward.

Liberi blinked, and then the SPARTAN was right next to him.

Liberi felt his whole world go blank for a second when the female SPARTANs' right fist went directly into his jaw. If he'd been a normal person, the punch would've snapped his neck with ease, but that didn't stop Liberi flying through the air once again, landing this time into a huge pile of rubble.

This time, Liberi couldn't get back up straight away, his body aching head to toe, Liberi let out a small groan as he tried to get back on his feet. He looked up, and dread filled his mind. The black SPARTAN agent was walking up to him, slowly, but menacingly.

"My nickname among the CP9 is Private Spartan, and let me tell you something Freelancer…" Private Spartan said with utmost delight and sadistic tone "when I reported Oldkids intent on delaying Nukids execution…..I was the one ordered by Sengoku himself to ignore Oldkid execute Nukid personally. But then that bloody fool Jack disobeyed orders and attempted to kill him, and then Oldkid appeared and it all went to crap!"

Private Spartan reached for her left side, and grabbed hold of a strange hilt. With a flick of her wrists, the hilt grew into a Covenant energy sword "I was disappointed…..but then, I was told my new target would be a fellow UNSC veteran from the war….and well….." Liberi heard her cackle inside her helmit "…I was DELIGHTED!"

By now, Liberi was back on his feet, but nothing about this situation was in his favour. His opponent was stronger, faster, had better armour and equipment, and worst of all, was in a far finer condition than he was.

Worse yet, she had stated she was personally ordered to execute Nukid…..did that mean she was stronger than Nukid?

* * *

Snake Screamer walked silently down the outskirts of L.A., heading to its more mountainous areas. He knew Ranger24 and PhoenixoftheDarkness were both searching this area too, so he felt some comfort he wouldn't have to search the entire mountain range alone.

Snake Screamer doubted Nukid was here, the message seemed to mean he would still be in the city. Still, despite sounding a little selfish, and despite the higher chances of being attacked, Screamer was glad he was searching this barren and desolate landscape. To hide his…..unusual appearance from the public, Snake Screamers entire mouth was covered in bandages. It hid what was under there…..but it still made him standout amongst crowds.

Snake Screamer sighed under his bandages, wiping sweat from his brow as the scorching sun. The day was hot and humid, but the heat was not getting to him much. Since he was going at a quick, but calm pace, he was able to bear the heat quite well.

That was before an electrical energy vibrated across the ground below him…

Suddenly, a huge spike made from the rock of the floor itself sprang out from the ground, aimed directly at Screamers chest. Screamer was quick enough to jump backwards in time to dodge the sharp spike, landing several steps backwards. But to his horror, a second spike appeared and shot up directly towards his spine, to which Screamer promptly jumped to his right.

Screamer stood ready to dodge again, but inside his mind was racing. Just what was causing the ground to move and shape itself like that? A nagging thought in the back of Screamer head made him think he recognised that electrical current that seemingly changed the ground, but in his frantic mind he could not think what it was. But then, the answer hit him, and Snake Screamer growled beneath his bandages.

"Alchemy….I'm fighting an Alchemist….but where is he?" Screamer looked left, right, in every direction to find where the Alchemist is transmuting from, but no matter where he looked, his attacker could not be seen.

He was fighting an enemy who could turn the ground into a weapon….and worse yet, he could not see his enemy….

* * *

Ranger walked quietly around another part of the mountainous area close to L.A., more specifically at the top of these mountains, keeping an eye out for Nukid, or anything suspicious that might happen in this quiet area. But ever since he had left Castle Doran, Ranger had been left alone, and it was beginning to bore the Twilight warrior somewhat.

He would not be bored for much longer.

Ranger side-stepped to the right, grabbing the flat hand which had been aimed at his skull. The hand he held in his own was strong and muscled, and it was no doubt fast. Ranger had only just dodged the Shigan in time.

"Close call…" Ranger mused, turning his head around at his assailant. Ranger saw a man around his age and height, dressed in a black leather suit similar to what motorcyclists wear. His hair was long and black, going down to his back, and he looked at Ranger with open amusement.

"Good reflexes mate" the assailant said, smirking as he let out a small chuckle "I was promised a good opponent. Been killing for a good fight since I joined this tight assed organisation."

"Hate to burst your bubble, but I doubt you're at my level" Ranger pointed out, indicating to their hands "I caught your Shigan without much problem."

His assailant chuckled again "Au contraire Author Fighter. You didn't stop my attacks at all."

"What?" Ranger snarled back. But then he felt it in one violent swoop. Suddenly, several cuts hit him across his body. One on his right shoulder, two on each arm, and a final cut hitting him directly on his right cheek. The shock of the attacks caused Ranger to lose grip of the assailants hand. The CP9 agent flipped backwards, landing perfectly on his feet, his hands out ready like a lions claws.

"In fact…..my attack was never a Shigan in the first place" the CP9 agent seemingly moved his arms around slowly. It was only seemingly however, for Ranger watched in open surprise as his opponent seemed to have 8 arms! The speed of his arms was incredible.

"Now this, is interesting" Ranger smiled, a mixture of respect and excitement filled his voice. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, and lifted up in the air, lowering it down to point it at the CP9 agent "the name's Ranger24. You want a fight, then bring it on."

The CP9 agent smiled "very well then. My name is Hayato, and not only am I a Rokushiki master, but I am a master of Nanto Seiken."

* * *

PhoenixoftheDarkness was the final Author to be searching the mountains, and while Ranger was on top and Screamer down below the mountains, Phoenix found herself somewhere in the middle. She walked across the mountains, searching vigorously, coming up to a flat area between two mountains. Phoenix began to walk down this flat ground.

But then, a sudden gust of wind flew out from behind her, flying right past her so fast she nearly tripped from the force of it. As soon as it came, the wind had gone, and she looked forward to see a figure right in front of her. The man was one knee; black treads directly behind him like he had just came to a stop. He had obviously been the one who had caused that sudden breeze.

He was no doubt a CP9 agent. More accurately, he was Koudou, the CP9 agent who had talked to Jack before he had gone to face Nukid. He held in his hand a sheathed Katana.

"So, we finally meet face to face, Author scum" Kodou chuckled, standing up and not turning around. His voice was loud and charismatic. Phoenix kept quiet, somewhat confused by the mans…..over the top entrance.

"You have committed awful crimes Author. Harbouring a traitor amidst your crimes, attacking government property" Koudou snarled, "You make me sick! How can you call yourself a man when you do such evil things?"

"Um…I'm not.." Phoenix started to say, but Koudou cut her off, obviously not hearing her.

"Your time has come Author. I, Koudou of the FREAK Unit…..fighter for women and justice, will bring justice down upon you, and you will be punished for the evil acts!"

"But…I'm a.." Phoenix cut herself off when she saw Koudou pull out a long Katana out from its hilt. He raised the blade into the air.

"So boy….in your final hours, be a man and put up a good fight!" Koudou span around "fight for your lif-aaaaaaaaaaa….."

Phoenix saw him properly now. He was a man with gelled black hair that went to his neck, a small beard covering his mouth, making him look somewhat Latino. He wore a dark blue vest over what looked like black pyjamas, and with equally black jeans to add. While he normally smiled, Koudou was now staring with his mouth wide open at Phoenix, his eyes almost bulging out in shock.

"…Er…excuse me miss, did you by any chance…see some male behind you as you walked up the mountain?" Koudou asked politely.

"No. Just me."

"…Erm…..er…wha….o-one moment please" Koudou muttered, the shock overcoming his once booming voice. He reached into his pocket, and took out a mobile phone. He dialled in numbers quickly, but before he pressed the call button, he turned back to Phoenix.

"Just checking but….you're not a cross dresser, are you?"

Phoenix threw her Keyblade directly at Koudou's head.

"Sorry" Koudou said, rubbing his skull. He pressed the call button, and waited for the other end of the of the call to pick up. Phoenix could tell by his expression the CP9 agent was about to explode.

"_Hello! Oldkid here! Randall Flaggs number one fan! How can I hel-?"_

"WHAT THE HELL OLDKID?" Koudou screamed down the phone, his voice also echoing across the mountains.

"_Oh, hey Koudou! What's wrong? You seem a little angry." _

"A little? I'M FULL OF RAGE RIGHT NOW! How could you make me fight a woman?"

"_Hmm…you're fighting Phoenix correct? Is she too tough for you?" _Oldkid asked innocently.

"THAT'S NOT IT! Look….hurting and killing women is one the greatest sins in the world! I asked to fight a guy! Why couldn't you have gotten someone else to fight her?" Koudou demanded. He seemed hurt that he had been chosen to fight Phoenix.

"_Well…Pawn insisted fighting the werewolve, Mala Makra, Abel & H.H abilities matched their opponents perfectly, Alice Jansen has her…remuneration thingy that needs people around, Private Spartan insisted on fighting the freelancer, Hayato wanted to fight the toughest Author, and the rest are on standby…" _Oldkid summarised _"Sorry…but you pulled the short straw on this one. But don't worry, I have an idea!"_

"Really? What's that?" Koudou asked eagerly.

"_Picture her as a guy! Ta ta!" _the line then went dead. Koudou was left silent, his mouth wide open in horrification. Slowly, he looked down at his phone, his body shaking from bottled up anger, about to explode.

"That….son of a….BITCH!" Koudou shouted, throwing his phone onto the floor before stomping on it over and over in a fit of pure anger. When he stopped his stomping, he breathed heavily, huffing over and over.

"Miss Phoenix?" Koudou turned to the Author, smiling calmly. Having gone from fuming and loud to polite and quiet freaked Phoenix out "I'm sure as you have just seen from that little incident that I do not like to fight women."

"As I can tell. Are you a sexist or something?" Phoenix spat.

"A sexist? Oh no! On the contrary, I think very highly of women" Koudou chuckled, rubbing his chin while he gazed up at the sky "women and justice are the two things I admire the most in this beautiful world of ours. I love everything about them, and wish to protect them with all my strength."

"So….you're a pervert?"

"I'M NOT A PERVERT!" Koudou screamed, back to his angry self. Phoenix got the impression that wasn't the first time he'd been called that "I'm a…..hopeless romantic!"

"So you admit you're hopeless?"

Koudou sighed "Look, just listen. Since I don't want to hurt you, I have a proposition to offer. You leave this city-hell, this world if you can- and never return. I'll tell my higher ups I killed you and disposed of the body. That way, you live, I don't have to hurt you, everyone's happy!"

"No" Phoenix stated firmly.

"P-please? Think about it dear! Don't you wanna live?"

"Of course I want to live, but there's something I want more than that" Phoenix explained "and that's to protect my friends and all those I care about. Right now, one of my friends is in danger, and I'll risk my life to save him!"

"…Pretty please?"

"I said no!" Phoenix shouted. She summoned Firebird into her hands, and pointed it towards Koudou "I'll go through thousands of you CP9 bastards to protect my friends! Now get out of my way!"

Koudou sighed, a sigh of a defeated man. He reluctantly held up his Katana, the blade aimed at his right, gripping the hilt tightly with both his hands "it seems like I'll have to try a more…forceful approach. Soru!"

Koudou disappeared, shocking the author at such speed. She had only a second though to be shocked, because suddenly Koudou appeared directly behind her, his Katana held over his head. He swung the Katana down, but Phoenix managed to raise her Firebird over her head before the blade hit her, blocking the attack.

"W-what the…" Phoenix groaned. She had blocked the attack, but the strength Koudou put into his attack was overwhelming. Phoenix was shocked by just how strong her opponent was. She tried to keep her Keyblade up, but the force of Koudou attack forced the female author onto one knee, and unable to move.

"I admire your courage Miss Phoenix…but let me inform you of something" Koudou said calmly, much more emotionlessly than before. He leaned down up close to her right ear.

"I am the 2nd strongest member of the FREAK Unit."

* * *

_It was so dark._

_He looked left and right, trying to find light, to find someone, anyone, anything, but there was only darkness. It had been a long time since he'd been afraid of the darkness, but right now it horrified him. He tried to move his body, but he felt like gravity had just came a hundred times heavier, and he couldn't move a finger._

_Was this what death truly felt like? He hoped not. He wasn't very religious, but he tried to hold to the belief there was something there. He wasn't expecting white clouds and a huge golden gate, but he wanted something! Maybe this wasn't death yet. Maybe the blood loss had made him lose all sense of where he was. He hoped so, and right now, death felt more appealing than this_

_But then, a light seemed to shine on him. A warm light, a light that made his cold and heavy bod.y warm up inside. The light seemed to get closer and closer, like it was literally walking up to him. Before he knew it, the light, the figure was right beside him._

_It was Portgas D. Ace._

_"Man…you've gotten yourself into deep trouble here, haven't you?" Ace chuckled, kneeling down next to him "honestly, Luffy has already lost me and Sabo. If he was to lose you…well I don't think even Luffy could handle the grief."_

_Ace held out his hand, placing it down on his shoulder. He felt a warmth come from Ace, the warmth of a brother. He wasn't sure, but part of him thought that tears were streaming down his face. Ace sighed, still smiling down as he said his final words._

_"Come on Matt…this isn't your time to die yet."_

* * *

Nukids heart started beating.

Nukid was barely conscious. He was faintly breathing and blood covered his body. He could barely see out of his eyes, everything was just a blur, and his whole body felt numb and soaking wet from the rain. But there was no denying it, he was alive!

"Oi, he's awake!"

Nukid hearing was not perfect, but it was better than everything else right now, and he heard the loud and gruff voice call out on top of him. He could not see properly, but there was no doubt that he could see five…..unusual outlines of figures standing above him. They seemed to be looking down at him, and they must've been the ones that had saved him.

"Seems like we were just in time. His heart had only stopped beating for two or three minutes. We were lucky" said an young, almost child-like voice who spoke like he was very bored. His voice came from a very weird figure in a black cloak, who seemed very short, and was…floating in the air.

"Good! Good job using your lightning Flames to resuscitate his heart Leviathan!" boomed an incredibly loud voice, even if wasn't intending to be loud. He came from a person who seemed have long, white hair which Nukid could surprisingly see, as well as his black leather clothes.

"Hmm, suppose we should thank that Bartholomew Kuma guy. He was the one who got us here, but how did he know we were looking for him?" asked the first voice, which come from a large and imposing figure, who was also wearing all black.

_**Bartholomew Kuma?…**_

"Who cares? The guy's pratically a corpse anyway with these wounds, ushishishi…" the next figure cackled, who was a small and slim figure, again in all black. Nukid couldn't make it out, but the figure seemed to hold a knife-like object in his hands. The long white haired figure suddenly turned his to his left sharply.

"Don't even think about it Lussaria."

"Oooh! But he looked so cute as a corpse Squalo! Why don't we just let him die, and tell the boss he died before we could find him? The boss surely can't blame us for it!" the figure called Lussaria suggested effeminatently, who was middle sized, dressed in blck, and had hair so strange Nukid couldn't make it out.

"VOOOI! Just shut up and heal his wound with your Sun Flames!" Squalo ordered loudly, growling after "besides, this is Xanxus we're talking about. He doesn't need a reason to blame us for something!"

_**I…I know these people…**_

"All done!" Lussaria boomed in his flirtish tone.

Squalo nodded, looking at the other three men in black "allright, Belphegor, call for some transport back to Italy. Leviathan, pick him up, and Mammon, get busy making your illusions."

"It's a pain having to make two whole illusions like this for free" the small floating figure called Mammon stated. Squalo seemed to smack his face with his hand.

"Just charge the bastard when he wakes up. Until he gets some real blood, he'll need your illusion blood to keep him alive!" Squalo barked.

Nukid felt his body lifted up by the large Leviathan, but only one more thought went through his head before he fell unconscious and into what seemed like a long sleep. It was a thought of realisation.

_**The Varia…**_

* * *

**Well, now this was a long one ^^. Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**If you're interested knowing, the fights between the AF and the FREAK Unit will be played out differently. Instead of having two chapters decdicated to one Authors fight, I'm having parts of several fights put into each chapter. Stay tuned for all the fights!**


	20. Author Fighters Vs The FREAK Unit Part 2

**Hey everyone. Well, yesterday marked the one year anniversary of Legacy!…One year, and only 20 chapters…excuse me, I'm gonna go cut myself now. Enjoy**

* * *

X Prodigy lied silently on a small bed, a blanket over his body as he slept. It had been a few hours since his sudden collapse, and when Ross found him like this with Ramon, Ross made sure X was placed somewhere comfortable and peaceful, his own room being ideal. As X slept peacefully, Ross and Ramon spoke outside of the bedroom.

"So he…just starting screaming and then collapsed?" Ross asked, repeating what Ramon had said.

Ramon nodded "yea. One minute he was showing off, the next he starts clutching his head in agony and screaming his head off, and then he just…fell unconscious" Ramon looked in the direction of the bedroom worryingly "what's wrong with him Ross? Has something like this ever happened to him before?"

"No…it hasn't" Ross sighed, turning as well to the bedroom, his face filled with concern for his long time friend and comrade.

"The thing about X is that we know so little about his past…things he himself doesn't even know."

* * *

_It was daytime in Las Noches, though thanks to Aizens meddling, it was only day time in Las Noches. The rest of Heuco Mundo was pitch dark at night time as it always was. Inside one of the various towers that populated Las Noches, the figure X Prodigy was seeing from the perspective from stood on top of one of the towers, leaning over a balcony of a large window. The figure-who X had no idea looked like-looked far into Las Noches, taking in all the scenery in seemingly deep thought._

_"So you actually turned Aizen down" called out a womans voice from behind._

_X felt the world spin as the figure turned around to face the voice. X felt the world spin as the figure turned around to face the woman._

_When he saw the woman, his heart skipped a beat…_

_The woman was tall, had dark skin, green eyes, blonde eyelashes, and messy short blonde hair that had three braided locks. She wore a variation of the Arrancar jacket that covers the lower part of her face downward, while baring a good portion of the lower half of her large breasts. The jacket, unlike that of other Arrancar, has a zipper running along its entire length that is opened from the bottom upwards._

_She was strong, imposing and mysterious, and yet X felt h had never seen someone so beautiful._

_"Yea. I thought he would get mad at me, but as always he just smiled and politely said, "I understand". I can never figure out what that guy's thinking" replied the man X was seeing through. However, when he heard him speak, it made him shiver in shock, his heart racing in horror at the voice._

_For the voice sounded just like his own…_

_"It's funny though…" the man with X voice chuckled lightly "…I intentionally blathered on before telling him, just so I could watch Yammy sweat! How a loser like him got in the Espada in the first place is beyond me."_

_"I don't find it funny at all…" the brown skinned woman replied coldly, slowly walking up beside the man "when you refused, me, Ulquiorra and Zommari were all giving you angry looks. Didn't you notice?"_

_"Yea, but I shrugged it off, you three being Aizens favourite ass kissers after all" the man laughed louder this time. He was promptly cut off by a thump to the forehead by the tall woman._

_"Honestly…any other Numeros would jump at the chance at being the Espada. You would've at least made Number six," the woman stated._

_"Six? I'd have made Number one on my first try!" the man with X voice declared, his tone sounding somewhat offended._

_"Don't underestimate Starrk. It's not like he'd be beaten by a Shinigamis Shiki form alone."_

_An eerie silence._

_"Still…why didn't you join the Espada ranks Xenethis? Think of the benefits you'd get. Your own accommodation, your own Fraccions to command, and you'd be one of Aizens most trusted subordina-" the woman was interrupted when the man leaned in and kissed her directly on the cheek. He held the kiss for a few, wonderful seconds, before moving back. He chuckled at the woman, who had now gone a bright red in the cheeks._

_"Because Tia…even with all that, none of it is worth losing the chance to be by your side forever" the man stated tenderly. Everything between the two went silent for a moment, before the woman known as Tia sighed, seemingly her hidden face smiling._

_"Thanks Xenethis."_

* * *

X Prodigy's eyes snapped open in a jolt. He found himself in Ross's room, his whole body sweating and himself breathless. He felt like he had just experience a horrible nightmare, and was still in shock.

But what he had felt was nothing like a nightmare. Even though he had no idea what had happened, it felt wonderful. Especially kissing that woman called Tia.

Tia…he swore he'd heard that name before. That beautiful woman…that similar voice, all of it seemed to so similar to X Prodigy. Rubbing his eyes, X started to calm down and see everything in the room properly.

He slowly turned his head to the right, but then, he saw Advent…holding a rifle aimed directly at his head. For a minute, the two brothers stared silently at each other.

After a minute, Advent lowered the rifle and sighed, "shit…he woke up."

* * *

Jiro sighed for what felt like the twentieth time. He stood in the centre of the L.A. park, looking left and right through the aches of trees, standing beneath one particular tree to get out the heat and in the shade. Finding that bastard Nukid was proving to be hard…and incredibly tiresome. He highly doubted Nukid would be anywhere near where he and Dawn were searching, so he felt no rush to look.

Jiro wiped sweat from his brow, still feeling the heat even though he was in shade. Silently, he cursed Nukid for the eighteenth time for choosing a hot day like today for getting into trouble like this. Still, he had to admit it wasn't all that bad. The park itself was quiet and peaceful, him being the only person around this area of the forest.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen anyone around since he first entered the park.

Shrugging the sudden suspicion off, Jiro sighed and decided it was time he got searching again, lest his girlfriend scolds him again. He began walking deeper into the park, keeping an eye for any sign of Nukid, but as he expected, the British author was nowhere to be seen.

What Jiro didn't expect was to be knocked out from behind…

* * *

"Where are you Nukes…" Dawn whispered to herself as she walked quickly through the park. Like Jiro, she was no success in finding her friend, only for her it was far more worrying. Also like Jiro…she had noticed how she was the only person around, and the quietness of the forest made her feel uncomfortable.

Suddenly, something moved behind her.

Dawn span around, ready to attack a CP9 agent, but when she turned she saw no one at all. She looked left and right without seeing a single person, but at the bottom of her eyes she saw something fidget. She quickly looked down at the movement, and couldn't help but gasp at what she saw. Not because it was bad-quite the opposite-but because it was the last thing she expected to see.

"Wolzar!" Dawn exclaimed, picking up the wolf puppy with bright red eyes and blue fur off the ground, and cradling him in her arms affectionately "what are you doing here? Did you follow us all the way from Castle Doran?"

Wolzar replied with a quick and excited bark. Dawn smiled back, stroking the pup on its soft head. She was certainly surprised to see the pup, but her happiness to see Wolzar overcame her surprise. It also made her feel a lot easier to know there was someone nearby, the eerie loneliness of the park still making her feel uncomfortable.

Dawn knelt down and allowed Wolzar to jump out her arms. She stood up straight and turned around to where she had been previously been looking, searching for her missing comrade. She still had a job to do, and her friend was still missing.

"Okay Wolzar, we'll look for Nukid together" Dawn said, before letting out a giggle "maybe with you around we can catch his scent and-"

"Oi, I think you should be more worried about yourself Werewolf!"

Dawn froze at the loud and mocking voice, but quickly snapped out of it and span around, gasping at what she saw. Wolzar laid on its side, struggling to break free from the boot that pressed tightly on its other side.

Dawn looked up at the man attacking Wolzar. He was a boy around Dawns age with greasy black hair that went down to his neck, small freckles covering both cheeks. He was dressed in all black, from jacket to trousers, and smiled widely at Dawn while showing to big, sharp fangs.

But most noticeable of all, were the blood red eyes that seem to stab whoever they looked at.

"Who are you? What are you doing to Wolzar? Get off of him!" Dawn demanded frantically, her body ready to jump forward and punch the figure off of Wolzar.

"Oh, you mean this fucking mut down here?" the CP9 agent laughed, pressing his foot harder down on Wolzars belly. Dawn felt a cold shiver go down her when she heard Wolzar groan in pain, crying out to be saved.

"I said leave him alone!" Dawn shouted at the CP9 agent, charging forward at him with pure rage. She stopped right in front of him, before swinging her right fist directly at his chin. Dawn felt the tip of her second knuckle touch his skin, but before the punch could truly connect, the boy flipped backwards in the air, landing back on his feet and narrowly dodging the fist.

"Oho! You've got a short temper Werewolf! Just like the rest of your race" the CP9 agent smirked, before letting out a mad chuckle "at least…the ones Rook didn't kill!"

"Rook…" Dawn repeated the word, bending down to cradle the unconscious Wolzar in her arms. At first she wasn't sure what his opponent meant, but then, realisation hit her in face, and a cold shiver went down her spine. He couldn't mean…that Rook.

"Rook…you don't mean…" Dawn whispered, still shivering at the name. The name of the monster who killed hundreds of her kind…her ruined the life of her boyfriend…the monster who tormented her in New York along with an even WORSE monster.

"Bingo wolf-girl! The powerhouse of my race, the man heralded as the slayer of the Wolfen race, Rook!" the CP9 agent declared, before smirking widely, liking his licks in seeming anticipation.

"But…as you and that Jiro fellow have proven…he failed!" the agent exclaimed, before going into a loud and insane cackle, rubbing his hands through his black greasy hair "I must thank you both! You've given me the opportunity to succeed where he failed! Now I just need to take care of you and I'll be finished!"

"Fini…what have you done with Jiro?" Dawn demanded, her voice filled with trembling fear. If she was the last step for him, then had he…already gotten Jiro? She couldn't believe that! Jiro wouldn't lose to someone like this monster!

"The soon-to-be dead don't need to know such trivial things" the assailant huffed. He began to walk forward like a hungry predator, Dawn stepping back as she held Wolzar. She knew she would have a massive handicap while holding onto him.

"But there is one bit of info I'll give you…and that's my name" the CP9 agent stated "the name I gave myself to dedicate my journey to the top."

The CP9 agents face suddenly became like stained glass "I am Pawn the Fangire."

And then, Pawn turned into what could only be described as a grotesque monster.

* * *

Snake Screamer jumped out of the way for what felt like the thirtieth time. The ground where he had just been standing quickly morphed into a spike, intending to impale the Author through the chest. Screamer gasped for breath, feeling the fatigue of constantly having to jump and dodge out the way from attacks made from the ground itself.

Screamer did not have long to get his breath back, because quickly the ground around him began to light up with a red electrical current, and Screamer forced his body to roll forward to dodge the five spikes that nearly impaled him from the ground. Screamer landed hard on his back, slowly getting back onto his feet. This torture of constant dodging was getting to him fast, and he had doubts he could keep this up any longer.

But beneath the bandages that covered his mouth, Snake Screamer smiled. He had a plan.

Screamer dodged forward from another incoming spike. He always dodged forward, because that was the direction the electric current was coming from. He never let the direction of the transmutation leave his sight, and with every attack he moved a little closer to where the transmutation started. However, he was not making much distance regardless, and he wondered just how long he could keep going like this.

He knew now there was no choice but to charge right in.

When he dodged what felt like the hundredth spike from the ground, Snake Screamer mustered up all his strength and sprinted in the direction the transmutations had started. He kept running and running non stop, directly towards the direction the transmutation had started. The energy he garnered for this spring surprised even him.

From in front, he saw the ground become surrounded by the electrical current, and from behind, he could hear the ground changing shape into unknown forms of attack, but Screamer managed to get past each one in time. But suddenly, the ground in front began to change shape into a small wall. Before Screamer could properly stop himself, several spikes appeared from out the wall and shot straight at him.

Screamer dropped to the floor just in the nick of time, a single spike scathing the upper part of his back. Without delay, Screamer jumped back to his feet, running around the wall and sprinting further towards the Alchemist hiding spot. He was now very close to where the transmutation started, behind a large rock that could easily conceal a person.

Something flickered to the left of Screamers eye, but he ignored it.

Screamer jumped on top of the huge rock, and proceeded to jump down on the other side, his hands clasped together to smack the Alchemist on the back of his head and knock him out.

But no one was behind the rock…

"What?" Screamer hissed in disbelief. Before he could think more about this, the rock he stood on illuminated with the electrical current, and three spikes sprang out from its top. Screamer was not prepared this time, and the three spikes stabbed him, one on the bottom of his right arm, the second in his left rib cage, and the third piercing his left leg.

Screamer groaned at the pain, but managed not to scream out loud. He used all his strength to grab the spikes, and with mighty tugs pulled each one out. Blood oozed out of the wounds, but that was the least of Screamers problems. The rock began to illuminate with electrical energy, but Screamer promptly jumped off the rock.

Screamer looked in the direction the transmutation was coming from, and it nowhere near where the transmutations had originally started. There was no way Screamer had mistaken the direction the transmutations had came from, an yet now they were starting in a completely new direction!

Screamer growled angrily. He felt like a rat in a maze filled with traps…

* * *

All DW64 could do was run.

The ground behind DW exploded as Akuma missiles narrowly missed the Author Fighter. DW64 never stopped running, breathing heavily under the cloth that covered his face. He made sure it was always tightly secured around his mouth and nose. He knew if he inhaled even a whiff of that smoke, he would be done for…

"Nearly got you that time Author!" Mala Makra laughed from atop a building on the street. As DW ran down the street, Mala followed from above via jumping from rooftop to rooftop. His arms were shaped into cannons, and for what felt like hours for DW64, Mala Makra had continued haling Akuma missiles onto the ground below, the street filled with clothes and the dust that was once people.

DW64, growling beneath his breath, swung out his Shotgun and fired several bullets, but from this distance such a short distance weapon had little chance of hitting his target, and luck was not on DW side today; each shot missed.

DW64 felt dread fill him, for what Mala had said was very true. The FREAK Unit agent was getting closer to hitting him with every barrage. He wasn't sure he'd be able to dodge the next attack. He knew he had to get to higher ground if he ever wanted a chance to fight Mala Makra fairly.

With a sudden jolt, DW64 stopped running forward, and sprinted to his right, towards the buildings opposite Mala Makra. DW grabbed the closest thing he could grab onto on the building, and pushed his body up the building. Without delay, he grabbed the next object-the bottom of the window-and within seconds was halfway up the building, and getting close to the rooftop.

"I don't think so! Rankyaku!" Mala Makra snarled, kicking his right leg with such power that an air blade flew out. The Rankyaku hit the building just where DW was about to grab, and both the sudden force of the attack and the debris that fell caused DW to lose balance, falling back down to the ground.

DW hit the cement ground hard. Slowly, getting up, he rubbed the back of his head, stress and anger raging through him. His opponent was giving him no chance, no opening to fight back.

"Coward…are you too afraid to fight me on equal terms?" DW scowled at Mala Makra. Partly trying to coax the CP9 agent, partly just let out his own anger.

"You mistake cowardice as a bad trait Author" Mala sneered, chuckling mockingly at DW "It's because of that cowardice I've survived so long!"

DW grimaced when he saw several Akuma missiles fly straight at him. DW rolled out the way, and began walking down the street, but the fatigue was getting to him fast, and the shots were getting very close.

"You're right Author! I am a coward" Mala stated "but it's because of my cowardice, I know not to give my opponent an opening, or a chance to win or kill me! Fearing death is something I'm proud of!"

DW found himself flying forward when one missile blew up directly behind him. He landed on the ground hard, and was slow to get back up. Before he could get on his feet, the entire ground around him exploded and filled with a strange smoke as the Akuma missiles blew up and engulfed the area.

Nothing moved after that…

Mala Makra looked down on the scene and grinned "Sorry to tell you this Author, but only the strong and the cowardly survive in this world…and I happen to be both!"

* * *

Alice Janson walked slowly and calmly down the narrow corridor. After she had sorted out the inhabitants of the building, she had studied the layout of the entire building, so that nothing could surprise her or used against her. She was familiar with the room at the end of the corridor, twisting the doorknob and stepping in.

It was this readiness that made her able to dodge the Ice spear.

Kitten stood outside the small closet, shocked her attack had missed. She was sure that she could catch the CP9 agent off guard by hiding inside the small closet very close to the door, charge out when she stepped in and throw her Ice Spear. But Alice Janson sidestepped the attack so casually, it was like she was expecting it!

"Nice try…" Alice Janson said emotionlessly "…but that was one of twenty possibilities I had considered you might do in this room."

"Screw you!" Kitten spat, forming an Ice sword from her hands. She held the hilt of the blade and swung at Jansons face.

"Kami-e" Janson muttered. When Kittens Ice Sword swung at her, her body suddenly became paper thin, dodging the sword to the left. Before Kitten could retract, Alice Jansons body became normal again, and she grabbed Kitten by her extended arm.

"No matter what you try, I am prepared to counter it" Janson stated, gripping Kittens arm tightly "after all, I am a Contractor. My survival is always my number 1 priority."

Kitten felt the air escape her when Janson right knee hit her square in the gut. She found her body flying back, the CP9 agent releasing her arm, causing her to fly straight into the office wall, severely denting it as she collided with it.

Kitten groaned, sitting herself up as the rubble on her fell off. She groggily tried to get back on her feet, her back severely aching after that last attack. She looked up, and gasped to see Alice Janson, aiming the fingers on her right hand straight at her head.

"Shigan supea" Alice mumbled, her fingers extending and flying out like huge spears towards Kitten. Kitten, despite her injuries, managed to roll out the way, ending up next to the second door to the room behind her. She could tell the odds were too much stacked against her in this cramped room, so the young Author made a quick bolt out the room. Alice Janson sighed, seemingly out of boredom, before slowly following the Author out the room.

Kitten ran down the narrow corridor, not daring to look back. She tried to think of another way to fight against the CP9 agent…to use the building as an advantage o somehow sneak up on her, but this woman seemed to know the building like the back of her head, and any traps she tried to lay got reversed onto her. Kitten couldn't help but feel panic for such a hopeless situation.

It was because of this panic she tripped over…

"Ow…" Kitten groaned, rubbing her head. She turned towards whatever she had tripped over, though it was nothing like what she was expecting.

Lying on the floor, was a young woman around her 20s, with white skin and brown hair, tied up and gagged on the ground. She did not make a noise, for she was unconscious and judging by the look of her clothes, had been hurt in someway. Kitten looked at the clothes, seeing the typical kid of clothes you'd wear at an office job. She obviously worked here, and must've been injured by the CP9 agent.

"H-hey, hey! Are you okay miss?" Kitten said hurryingly, lifting up the womans head and resting her head on her knees. She took of her gag and ropes, and was relieved to hear her faint breathing "you've gotta wake up miss! That CP9 agent is gonna come soon and-"

The woman made a small, helpless groan when her lower body was completely severed off by a Rankyaku, before breathing no more…

At first, what just happened did not register with the young author. The young author stared down at the now torn torso with a frozne expression, Alice Janson watching the girl patiently. What felt like minutes passed, until…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Kitten screamed, scrambling backward. She clung hard to the wall, breathing heavily, never looking away from the mutilated woman. Even though she had been with the AF for a long time, such a sight caused her whole mind to go into a panic. Fear, shock, disgust at the sight raged through her mind.

And of course anger, for a innocent woman had been killed in such a horrible fashion…

"Why…" Kitten whispered, before her face turned to an expression of rage at Alice Janson "WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO HER?"

Janson sighed "it's not like I wanted to Author. I have to do it to pay my remuneration. I'm grateful you found me someone for me to pay it off."

"Remunera….what the hell are you talking about?"

"It is the payment a Contractor has to pay every time they use their powers, and they can be very inconvenient" Alice sighed "one Contractor might have to break their fingers each time they use their powers. Another might have to kiss someone every time they use their powers."

Alice Janson pointed down at the mutilated corpse "every time I use my powers…I have to kill someone…That is my payment as a Contractor"

* * *

Nukid woke up in a comfortable bed

The light of the white room made Nukids eyes go blurry at first, Nukid hid his eyes with his right hand. It was then he noticed the huge cast that covered his whole arm

"What…" Nukid whispered. He promptly tried to sit up, but upon trying so found nearly every part of his body to ache. After a moment of groaning, Nukid forced himself to fight through the pain and get his body to sit up. After what felt like several gruelling minutes, Nukid managed sit his back up to the white, cold wall. Nukid saw a mirror facing him in the opposite direction, and took a look at himself

He wished he hadn't…

Nukids body was a mess. He couldn't see a part of him that wasn't injured! Nukids whole forehead was covered with bandages, covering his blonde hair. While the rest of his face wasn't, Nukid grimaced to see both his eyes and mouth bruised and swollen. Several bags containing blood were connected to his arms, slowly pouring blood into his body. Both his arms and legs were covered extensively in casts, but what was most bandaged was the centre of his chest, which had padding underneath the bandages

He remembered…that was where Oldkid had stabbed him…

Nukid looked away, unable to look at the image in the mirror. How was he alive? No man could survive horrendous beatings! And why was he now in this quiet, bright white room?

However, a thought came across him, which caused him to almost completely forget about his horrible condition.

"Jack…" Nukid whispered, his voice trembling at the thought of his dead comrade. He felt his body shake like it was cold, his breathing growing heavier. He had tried o save his old friend, to prevent another close friend of his from dying because of him.

But in the end, Nukid failed to save his friend…again.

Had Nukid been left alone, he would've broken down. However, the opening of the rooms door, and someone stepping in disrupted this.

"Oh, you're up Nukid-san!"

Nukid turned to see one of the people he had seen when he was near death. The one called Lussaria. Now Nukid could see, the assassin could recognise Lussuria clearly. He recognised the dark sunglasses he always wore, and the weird hairstyle where most of it was short, but a big part of it was long and bright green, and flopped down the right side of his face.

However, Lussuria was not wearing the normal Varia black trenchcoat…

He was wearing a nursemaids outfit.

"L-L-L-L-L-L-Lussuria?" Nukid trembled, more horrified than he had ever been in his life, trying to move his body back as far as he could.

"You were in such a horrible condition when we found you Nukid-san! But don't worry, you are in L-U-Ssurais' care now!" Lussuria cheered, causing Nukid to let a whimper of horror.

Lussuria then took out a large injection, filled with a strange coloured liquid "now, let's get some of this in you!"

* * *

Squalo, Belphegor, Leviathan and Mammon walked down the large corridor leading up to Nukids room. Leviathan-who was not only tall, but had a long black moustache that shot out each side-leaned down to Squalo "Oi, was it really a good idea leaving Lussuria in charge of Nukids healing?"

"Ushishishishi…that guy always get excited in these kind of roles" Belphegor chuckled, stroking his messy blond hair which covered his eyes, his sick grin never leaving.

"Lussuria may be….sick, but he's a professional" Squalo stated "I trust him not to do anything bad to that bastard Nuki-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! HELP! HELP ME!"

The Varia heard Nukids scream very clearly. They could hear a rummaging sound from inside the room, like someone was fighting another person off.

"Oh, come on Nukid-san! It'll only hurt upon penetration!"

"DON'T PHRASE IT LIKE THAT!"

* * *

…**Yea ^^;. Been waiting to write that scene. Writing scenes involving Katekyo Hitman Reborn is simply awesome!**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter! By then, I'll have turned 18 years old!**


	21. Turn Back The Clock:Varia Edition Part 1

Hey everyone. Late as ever. Enjoy!

* * *

"VOOOI! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?"

Squalo shout echoed in the small room, silencing both Nukid and Lussuria at once. Squalo, Belphegor, Leviathan & Mammon walked into the bedroom to see Lussuria-garbed in a nursemaids uniform- standing over Nukid. He held in his left hand a large syringe, filled with a strange liquid, while Nukid held both of his arms. He had seemingly been trying to force the Varia member back, his face frozen in a horrifed mask.

"Oh, there you are Squalo!" Lussuria chirped, still trying to push the syringe down "quick, help me keep Nukid down! I was gonna give him this so he could fall asleep again!"

"You're lying! That's poison and I know it!" Nukid cried, "he's gonna poison me and rape my corpse!"

"Seems like Nukid remembers Lussuria. Ushishishishi…" Belphegor cackled. Squalo slapped his head, growling madly at the two wrestling.

"That's enough Lussuria! We need the bastard awake anyway!" Squalo ordered. Lussuria looked reluctant at first, but with a defeated sigh, Lussuria straightened up and lowered both his hands away from Nukid. Squalo promptly walked up to the bed, looking disgustfully down at the former CP9 assassin.

Nukid returned the disgusted gaze with a bored one. He was however trying to hide his surprise that the Varia had saved him. With a huff, Nukid said, "long time no see, Squalo."

Squalo grinned back at Nukid, showing his shark-like teeth, "It's been a while…former Varia leader Nukid."

_**Two years ago…**_

Nukid stood in a large, old fashioned but expensive looking office. A huge mahogany desk stood before the assassin, big enough to hold a dozen men, while the curtains were drawn despite being day, giving the room a dim shading. As he had entered, Nukid had quickly analysed the whole room, but nothing-seemed out of pace in such a setting, alcohol filled cabinet, huge paintings, and various expensive looking ornaments. Everything in this room made it clear whoever used it was very rich and old. This wasn't the kind of place Nukid would likely start fighting.

Still, you had to be careful. Especially when entering the office of Timoteo, the 9th boss of the Vongola Mafia Family…

The said Mafia crime boss sat at the large desk, silently reading a document of some form, no doubt related to Nukid in some form. Nukid patiently stood in the centre of the room, waiting for him to finish reading. You had to know this man was a crime boss before meeting him, or else you wouldn't suspect him at all of being a part of such a business! Nukid couldn't help but think this man was just like your typical kindly granddad.

The Vongola IX was very fragile looking, Nukid thought. Very skinny and not very tall, despite his youth Nukid was taller. He had grey hair and moustache that looked barely combed, all shaggy and spiking out. What was most leading however was not his appearance, but his presence. When Nukid first entered, he expected to feel stiff and on edge when talking to the Vongola IX.

Instead, you couldn't help but feel a warmth and calmness when being in the same room as him…

"You have excellent credentials Mr. Monkey D. Matt" Vongola IX said, lowering the paper to look directly at Nukid. Nukid stood still, feeling the old mans eyes analyse him, almost test him to see whether the looks matched the deeds written on the paper.

"I prefer to be called Nukid" Nukid corrected. Nukid had forgotten the last time someone referred to him by the name of his foster family. His CP9 nickname had become a part of him; the young boy who once played with his brother-like friends Luffy and Ace was long dead.

"As I've been told…" Vongola IX replied slowly, stroking his chin as he spoke "…still, whatever you wish to call yourself is not my concern. The fact is your skills would be a major asset, and we are in dire need of a new leader for the Varia."

"Varia…that's your assassination squad, correct?"

"Yes, the pride of the Vongola Family…at least is was until the Cradle Affair" Vongola IX voice seemed to lower at the mention of the Cradle Affair, his eyes lowering, as if mere mention of this incident caused the man great sadness.

"Cradle Affair…care to elaborate old man?" Nukid asked somewhat disrespectfully, but he didn't care, he didn't like things to be kept secret from him.

Vongola IX nodded "The Cradle Affair was an attempted coup by the Varia over six years ago. We were able to stop their attempts at taking over…but the event caused me great suffering Nukid."

"Why's that?"

"The Varia leader was my adopted son; Xanxus"

"Ah…" Nukid nodded, understanding of the mans' grief. Nukid couldn't help but sympathise with the Vongola leader now. Nukid knew all about betrayal…

"So…what did you do with Xanxus?" Nukid asked, somewhat boldly

"He's still in the mansion, in our basement. He isn't very talkative, considering he's been frozen."

"I…see…what about the rest of the Varia?"

"I did nothing to them. Without Xanxus, their coup came to nothing, and frankly their skills as assassins are to great to just throw away. Since then, I've tried hard to find a replacement for Xanxus, someone who could mould them out of their rebellious ways and their intense loyalty for Xanxus" Vongola IX explained.

"Uh-huh…and how replacements were there before me?"

"23."

Nukid slapped his face, letting out a huge sigh "fan-fucking-tastic. And what makes you think I'll fare any better? Why did you offer me this job in the first place?"

Vongola IX looked Nukid directly in the eyes, and the strength of his gaze made it impossible for Nukid to look away. It was true; the Vongola had come to Nukid, not vice versa, with the prospect for joining the Mafia. Nukid had barely left the Grand Line with Sofia, and yet here he was, being targeted by people who seemed to know everything about him.

"The Varia are legendary for how their assassin skills are considered demonic," Vongola IX said, looking back down at the paper.

"You killed hundreds of World Government soldiers in a fit of rage…you just might be the most demonic person I've ever met."

* * *

The Varia office was surprisingly close to the office of Vongola IX. Nukid could see both pros and cons to that. On the one hand, if anything were to happen to Vongola IX, like an attack from another Mafia family, the Vongola strongest Assassins would be close by to reach the ninth to protect him, though Nukid suspected the old man was much tougher than he looked.

Still, there was one simple fact Nukid couldn't ignore. These guys had tried to overthrow the entire Vongola family…

Nukid walked out of Vongola IX office and headed straight towards the room that he'd been told was the Varia office. Despite not being far from Vongola IX office, Nukid passed several Vongola members as he walked, all older than him and clad in black suits. As he walked passed, he felt their cold suspicious stares. Maybe they did this to all new members, or maybe they all knew just what he had done when Maria died.

Nukid ignored it. He already regretted the horrible act he had committed that day, he had no right to complain if people thought bad of him. After all, no one thought worse of Nukid than Nukid himself.

Nukid stopped at the door with the sign **"Varia"** screwed on top. With a deep breath, Nukid grabbed the doorknob and walked sternly into the room of his new subordinates.

Within a second of entering, Nukid narrowly caught the sword that had been swung above him between his fingers.

Nukid looked up with an irritated scowl. One second into the job and somebody was already trying to kill him? That was probably a new record…probably

Nukid got a look at the man with long white hair that dangled from the rooftop like a spider. He stared down at Nukid with a massive grin, bearing razor sharp teeth that made Nukid think of a shark. Nukid never let go of the sword this man had swung down at him, no doubt aimed at the top of his skull.

Nukid noted the way this man handled the sword. He did not hold the hilt in his hand, there WASN'T a hilt. Rather, the blade was tied to the mans wrist, in a sense truly becoming an extension of his own hand. Nukid made sure to remember this. It was important to fully understand all of his subordinates' abilities and fighting styles…even if said subordinate was trying to kill you.

"Welcome to the Varia!" Squalo laughed, his sword arm twitching as Nukid held it between his fingers "congratulations! You're the first replacement in two years to block my first assassination attempt!"

"I'm honoured" Nukid showed a smug smile towards the Varia member. He wouldn't let this get to him. He would succeed where his 23 predecessor had failed "but seriously, it's taken two years for someone to dodge such a pitiful attack?"

Squalo right eyebrow twitched "well well, we've got a cocky one! You might've blocked my attack, but can you block the next?"

"Huh?" It was only a split second after that Nukid caught the wrist of another attackers hand, who had aimed a small but deadly knife straight for Nukids spine. Nukid glanced at the new attacker, seeing for the first time the crown wearing, banished prince Belphegor, with his usual sick grin.

He annoyed Nukid instantly.

"Ushishishishi…" Belphegor sniggered "been four years since someone dodge the first two attacks"

"First…two?" Nukid repeated with obvious confusion. He had no time to think on it though, because suddenly a figure had suddenly ran up to the young assassin. In a split second, the new attacker had swung his right knee upwards at Nukids chest. Nukid only just managed to lift his left leg up and block the knee shot with his leg.

Nukid grimaced when they connected. Yes he had blocked it, but the attacker had some kind of metal plating on his knee, and since he hadn't used Tekkai, he felt the brute force of it undefended. He knew that would be sore in the morning…

Nukid faced the third attacker, and was almost so much disturbed by his…colourful hairstyle he nearly lost grip of Squalo and Belphegor. This was the first time Nukid-unfortunately for him-met Lussuria.

"Oh my! We've got a toughie here guys!" Lussuria said in his loud and queer voice "this is the first time in six years someone dodge the first three attacks!"

"Let me fucking guess! There's a fourth attack huh?" Nukid snarled, fuming with anger. He turned his left and right, up and down "well where is he? Where is the son of a-"

Nukid then noticed something "…why are there Umbrellas floating in the air…"

"**Levi Volta!"**

At once, eight sword-like umbrellas that were floating around the fight suddenly began to illuminate with electricity. The eight Umbrellas sent the electricity straight at the fight. Nukid had been so surprised by the sudden attack, he was the only one who didn't jump out of the way.

The entire area surrounding Nukid was engulfed in the electricity, turning the ground to rubble and ash and blowing up much of its surroundings. Once the attack was finished, it seemed as though Nukid had been reduced to nothing but ash.

Leviathan, the large muscular man with spiky hair stepped into view besides Squalo, Belphegor and Lussuria, with a massive grin on his face. "Looks like I was the one who finished him off! When we rescue Lord Xanxus, he'll be so proud I-"

The four Varia members heard a noise behind them, and quickly turned to face it. To all fours shock, they saw Nukid, who had seemingly used Soru to dodge that last attack. He had not completely dodged it, his clothes covered with newly made holes and smoking in places.

Nukid looked at the four with a tired expression, before shrugging "well…what a way to greet your new boss."

**_End flashback…_**

When Nukid and Squalo started talking in the medical room Nukid was being treated, the two had tried to be civil and talk calmly. After all, there were pressing matters to be dealt with and both felt they needed to act grown up on this occasion.

They didn't last two minutes…

"VOOI! What did you say?"

"I said you're piece of shit who made my life a living hell while I was in charge!" Nukid spat, screaming despite his condition.

"You ungrateful little twat! If it wasn't for us you'd be dead right now!" Squalo retorted angrily

"I didn't ask for your help! Besides, all I remember YOU doing was saying 'Vooi do this' and 'Vooi do that' and 'Vooi I look like a woman!'"

Squalo gritted his teeth "at least I'm not an egotistical prick who can only either angst or get a boner at ever girl he looks at!"

"Coming from the guy who only seems to get a boner from sword fighting! What, you like to get hot and sweaty with other male swordsman, huh?"

"VOOOI! VIC MIGNOGNA REJECT!"

"SEPHIROTH WANNABE!"

Ass the two bickered, the rest of the Varia stood silently, watching the two with casual expressions. Seemingly, this confrontation between the two was nothing new to them. With a sigh, the cloaked baby Mammon hovered into the air, and flew towards the bickering assassins, stopping between the two and halting their heated talk.

"I hate to ruin this tearful reunion, but I believe it's time we explained the situation to Nukid, Squalo" Mammon suggested.

The white haired swordsman considered this for a moment, before spitting on the floor and nodding "fine. First, if you're even half the supposed great assassin you were said to have been, you'd know we're nowhere near L.A. anymore."

"I'd gathered" Nukid grumbled, looking around the room, seemingly truly noticing its familiar features "but…this room…it's a lot like the ones at Vongola HQ."

"That's because they are the medical rooms in Vongola HQ, baka" Squalo spat "we brought you all the way from L.A. to Italy."

"You…what? You're kidding!" Nukid threw up his bandaged arm "have you not seen the state I'm in? I couldn't have travelled that distance with such horrible injuries!"

"Lussuria used his Sun Flames to regenerate the cells in your body, and stabilize your body until we properly treated you" Leviathan informed.

"It was a pleasure to be your guardian angel, Nukid-san!" Lussuria flirted

Nukid shivered, but moved on "We-well what about blood? I lost a lot of blood you know!"

"Thank Mammon for that, Ushishishishi…" Belphegor sniggered "…he replaced your blood with a Mist Illusion, keeping you alive all the way from L.A. to Italy."

"R-really?" Nukid said in surprise. He turned to the baby assassin Mammon, looking at him with pure and open gratitude.

"Wow, thank you Mammo-"

"I expect 300,000 dollars sent to my bank accou-"

"OH SCREW YOU!"

**_Two years ago…_**

Nukid, standing up, sighed deeply "it seems as though we've gotten off to a bad start."

"What makes you say that?" Lussuria asked innocently. All five members of the Varia were seated on a long, black leather sofa that fitted all of them, looking up at their new leader, except for one.

"BECAUSE YOU'VE ALL TRIED TO KILL ME!" Nukid shouted, letting out his anger in one single burst. What made it worse for Nukid was that his new subordinates treated it all so laid back, like this was nothing but a game to them. Nukid wouldn't let them have their way with him…with that Lussuria guy, figuratively and literally.

"Not all of us. Mammon didn't attack you" Belphegor pointed out, talking of the small baby assassin whose face was mostly cloaked by his hooded coat. The baby sat at the right end of the sofa, counting a collection of dollar notes silently.

Squalo turned angrily towards Mammon "VOOI! What the hell Mammon? Why didn't you help us? We could've killed Nukid if you'd helped!"

Nukid right eyebrow twitched "…I'm standing right here you prick."

"Vongola IX has paid me to not get involved in your attempts at killing our new bosses" Mammon said, never looking away from his money "there's more things to life than loyalty."

"YOU TREACHEROUS BASTARD!" Leviathan roared at the baby, making Nukid jump in shock. He'd seemed the stoic and silent type to Nukid. The large assassin jolted upwards and attempted to attack Mammon, but Lussuria and Belphegor had quickly restrained him "do you not care about Lord Xanxus? The Varia is nothing without Xanxus!"

Nukid had to ask, "I know this Xanxus guy was the Vongola IX son but…what's so great about him?"

Squalo stared daggers at Nukid "Bastard…like you'd be able to comprehend the inspiration Xanxus gave us! We were all so fascinated by his rage, that we…that we devoted ourselves to sending him to the top! THAT is the reason we've devoted ourselves to him!"

"…Sounds like you guys are gay for him."

"VOOOOI! LIKE HELL WE ARE!"

"Well, he is kinda cute…"

"SHUT UP LUSSURIA!"

* * *

For several months, Nukid lead the Varia through several assassination missions. All of the talk surrounding the Varia was proven true right in front of Nukids eyes…well, he already knew they were mad, blood thirsty sadist, but now he saw that the level of quality the Varia put into their mission was undeniably superb. Each member showed that not only did they prove themselves competent fighting on their own, but the Varia understood each others skills and were even more deadly when they work together. They really were grade A assassins.

Though, Nukid thought nostalgically, they were not on the same level as the CP9. But then again, who was?

One thing Nukid was grateful for was their professionalism when it came to mission. While they still squabbled and bickered to each other like little kids, when the Varia were killing, they were like a well oiled machine. Accurate, serious, and-thankfully-obedient to Nukids commands. They followed his orders and carried them out without fail…granted, Squalo would bitch about it for five minutes beforehand.

Outside of missions however…Nukid was either dodging one of their latest attempts at killing him, or was suffering from a headache brought on from their shenanigans…

Nukid and his subordinates stood on the edge of a cliff, hidden by the trees surrounding the cliff. They looked down at a huge mansion, centered in the middle of the vast forest that covered the landscape. From this clifftop, the Varia had an excellent view of the whole mansion, like a bird watching its pray from the sky.

It was currently the fifth mission Nukid had been on, and it was by far the most tiresome. It being nighttime was not the only cause of this. They had stationed themselves on this cliff several hours ago, waiting patiently as they watched the mansion. There was a reason to this, this mission wasn't only being conducted by the Varia, but all this waiting with some of the most annoying men alive was tiresome to say the least.

"VOOI! How much longer do we have to wait?" Squalo growled at Nukid, swinging his sword in frustration. Each of the Varia were either sitting standing around the small cliff top-or in Mammons case floating-patiently waiting for the signal to begin the operation. While everyone else was quiet, Nukid had little doubt they were as impatient as Squalo too. Usually, the Varia did not have to wait so long to start a mission. However, this mission wasn't like most missions.

"Shut up Squalo. We're all sick and tired of waiting, but we can only start when the main forces attack first" Nukid reminded the shark teeth assassin. Squalo looked at Nukid with the cold and hate filled stare he always gave Nukid, before snorting loudly.

"We could've handled this alone. Why we have to work with the grunts on this one I don't know" Leviathan spoke up, muttering a further complaint under his breath.

Nukid slapped his face. He did know. They all knew, but they insisted on bitching about it. "We're taking out an entire Mafia Family; The Pescare Family. We let our grunts make a heads on charge and then we kill the leaders when they're still in shock."

"Guess this is what happens to those who tread on Vongola turf and causing us trouble. Ushishishishi" Belphegor sniggered. Nukid swore he'd pull out his tongue one day so he'd stop that snake-like laugh.

Though what he said was true. The Pescare Family weren't a particularly big Mafia family, but they were big in ego. They treaded on Vongola turf and started taking it from them, that including businesses under Vongola control. To be fair Vongola IX did try peaceful negotiations and come to a compromise, but in the end it was futile.

And when peaceful means fail, it will always lead to violence…

BOOM

Nukid looked down at the mansion where he and his men would attack, and saw the smoke rising from the side of the mansion. The attack had begun. By now the Vongola pawn will have engaged he Pescare family own pawns head on. And now the elite Assassination Squad; Varia, had to take out the king.

Looking at the ongoing battle, Nukid thought bitterly about his life up till now. Ever since his desertion from the CP9, his life had been hectic to say the least. He had no idea how he had gotten here; working for a Mafia family, but a bitter thought always trailed in his mind, especially before his missions began.

"I used to kill for justice…and now look at me…nothing but a glorified crook," Nukid whispered to himself, quiet enough so no one would hear. Breathing out, Nukid span around and turned to the Varia "all right, we stick to the normal plan. We go in, we kill, and Lussuria gets to keep the corpses."

"Right!" all five Varia members said in unison, Lussuria noticeably smiling. Using Geppou, Nukid jumped off the edge, down towards the ensuing battle. Before the Varia members could follow, Squalo raised a hand to halt them.

"Wait. If possible, I want you guys to keep any eye on Nukid" Squalo said to his unstable comrades. All but Mammon seemed confused by this, and Mammon was just because his expression never changed.

"Eh? Why do that?" Lussuria asked curiously. Squalo turned down towards where Nukid had gone, narrowing his eyes inquisitively.

"I'm not too sure but…" Squalo said unusually quietly "…I don't think I've seen Nukid actually kill anyone himself."

* * *

It all seemed to be over before it even began…

It was no surprise to Nukid that the battle was once this easy. The Vongola forces out numbered the Pescare family ten to one. By the time Nukid had reached the mansion, the mansion was littered with the bodies of Pescare family members. Lussuria must've felt like he was in heaven.

Despite Nukids earlier feelings of regret, he was glad about one thing; at least he'd picked a winning side.

And now all that was left was the Pescare Family boss, who in his fright had barred the door to his bedchambers, while his top subordinates diligently guarded the door. Nukid was impressed by their bravery, considering the force they may have to fight alone. Bravery was not enough however when fighting the Varia. In mere moments, the Varia had caught with Nukid and engaged the Pescares' top fighters, while Nukid walked towards the barred door.

All it took was a single kick to knock the door down, and a simple sidestepped the dodge the slash of a well polished Katana. The Pescare family boss-an old, chubby man with freckles-regained his composure and swung at Nukids head, who easily dodged it. Nukid was surprised by the mans skill, despite the mans age and weight. If Nukid were but an average grunt, he might actually be a challenge.

But to a former CP9 Agent, the Pescare leader had less chance than a one legged man in an ass-kicking contest…

After the boss swing his katana for the fifth time, Nukid stopped playing around. He grabbed the arm with his left hand, hearing the man screams from his iron grip. Pulling him forward, Nukid punched the Pescare boss in the gut, winding the old man and sending him to his knees. Nukid had little doubt he'd broken the mans rib cage, and now all that was left was to finish him off. Nukid raised his right hand, extending his first finger.

"Shiga-"

_"Maria…." Nukid sobbed, crying over her dead body "…why didn't I listen to you? Why did I refuse to open my eyes? IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"_

_Nukid continued sobbing over her dead lover, while surrounded by the corpses of hundreds of Marine Soldiers_

Nukid felt his whole body freeze stiff, his right hand trembling, trying to move it down, but it was like something had taken over the hand, and it refused to budge. Why did that memory flash before his eyes, just as he was about to kill someone? And why, why now could he not force himself to take another's life?

Seeing the now frozen Nukid, the Pescare crime boss smile smugly, albeit with a cringe from his broken ribs, reaching with his free arm into his coat. He took a small revolver, aiming it directly at Nukids heart. Before he got chanc to fire however, the end of Squalo sword stabbed the crime boss through the skull, killing the man instantly.

"VOOI! No one gets to kill Nukid but me!" Squalo growled, releasing his sword from the mans head, and the dead Pescare leader fell to the floor. Squalo looked directly at Nukid frozen with shock expression, and showed the former CP9 agent more disgust than he had ever shown him before. Squalo punched Nukid in his face, before yanking at his collar and pulling him up close

"VOOI! What the hell is wrong with you? Why the hell did you freeze like that?" Squalo demanded. Nukid rubbed the cheek he had hit, still in a daze, but the punch seemed to slowly snap him out of his shock.

When he finally truly noticed Squalo, Nukid violently pushed him away, and stomped off, talking to no one as he left the mansion…

**_End flashback…_**

Ever since his discussion with the Varia, Nukid had been getting regular check ups by Vongola doctors, and every time his injuries got less and less severe. He wasn't totally sure how they did-something along the lines of using Sun Flames to regenerate his cells-but by their fourth trip, Nukid was nearly healed completely.

However, he wasn't completely just yet. Much of the work had gone to his severe injuries, such as his broken ribs and the…hole that was in his chest, but now those were almost gone, all that was left were the bandages on his arms, which still felt sour and itchy, and his swollen face. Touching his right eye, he winced at the feeling of his swollen skin. He tried not to look in a mirror.

Squalo visited again shortly after, smiling smugly at Nukid "tch, tell me, have they fixed your face yet? I can't tell!"

"Haha, very funny asshole…" Nukid growled, ignoring Squalo loud laughing. Nukid looked down at his hands, deciding now was the best time to ask "Squalo…why did you guys save me?"

"Eh? What kind of stupid is that?" Squalo snarled "when one of our own is attacked, no matter what internal conflicts we have, the Vongola stand together to fight offthis threat!"

"But…I'm not a Vongola member anymore" Nukid pointed out. He was gonna point out it was his fault, but he decided best not to for now.

"The way Vongola IX sees it, you never truly left us" Squalo pointed out "and he also feels that those Author Fuckers-being your allies-are by technicality Vongolas' allies as well."

"Wait a minute…" Nukid whispered, disbelieving what he was hearing "…are you saying…"

"Aye" Squalo rubbed the sword on his right arm, smiling madly at the thought of battle

"The Vongola Family has decided to aid the Author Fighters…and declared war on the World Government."

* * *

**Well, finally another update! Sorry if you were hoping for a FREAK Unit fight, but I needed some more time to plan those out. I'll only need one more chapter after this, so the wait won't (hopefully) be too long. Stay tuned!**


	22. Turn Back The Clock:Varia Edition Part 2

Hey everyone. Another update here! Enjoy!

* * *

It had all happened so fast…

The sewers of L.A. had finally returned to the silence it once had. The voices of the several young CP9 agents having been silenced after a thundering of gunfire. Now all that made noise was the sound of sewage water gushing down like a polluted river, blood streaming in from several locations.

Several black suited bodies laid dead across the concrete floors, all of them young adults, none over 20 years of age. Their black clothes were stained crimson around where the bullets had pierced their skin, and the floor was covered in pools of blood. The walls were covered in near hundreds of bullets holes, shots that had either missed the CP9 agents or pierced through them, the whole area a bloody warzone.

To the left and right of the now-dead Agents, several figures, also dressed in black, stood silently. Many of them held Machine Guns in their hands, but some held various sorts of weapons, ranging from a Katana to a Crossbow. They were all significantly older than the dead CP9 agents, and not one of them seemed to have taken a single injury from the bloody battle.

One body suddenly moved, and all of the standing foes turned to him. He was one of the older agents who had been present, probably 19 years old, with short black hair and thick eyebrows. He slowly pushed himself up to his knees, clutching the right of his chest, where two bullets had hit him, and his body shook from the pain he felt all over his body.

"W…why…didn't…our Tekkais…work?" the agent whispered, coughing up blood when he finished. One of the standing men, a man in a black suit with short, well groomed brown hair and a pair on sunglasses slowly walked over to the sole surviving CP9 agent. He knelt beside him and showed him the revolver in his hands.

"We're not amateurs lad. We knew normal bullets wouldn't work on you Rokushiki users. So, we coated our bullets with our own Dying Will energy, shooting through your iron bodies and killing your comrades with ease" the man with the sunglasses said slowly. The man then stood up, and aimed the revolver directly at the 19 year old CP9 agent "and now, you'll follow suit."

"W…Who are you people?" the CP9 agent cried out. The man looked down, and smiled slyly at the 19 year old boy he was about to kill.

"We're the Vongola family."

BANG

* * *

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BLOODY MINDS?"

Squalo stared annoyingly at the bedridden Nukid, who had just screamed into the white haired assassins face. Right now Nukid swollen face had gone red with rage, he stared daggers at the white haired assassin, looking ready to rip the Varia swordsman head off for what he had just told him.

"Has the Vongola gone fucking suicidal since I left? You should know full well how powerful the World Government is! You guys don't stand a chance!" Nukid protested.

Squalo snarled, "Like you know a bloody thing about the Vongolas' true strength. You spent only a few months with us, so don't act you know everything bastard!"

"I know enough to know you don't stand a bloody chance!" Nukid retorted, leaning forward as he shouted. However, he suddenly clutched his face, rubbing the still swollen parts. His face was still swollen in places, especially around the right eye and cheekbone, and it hurt to talk so loud "you guys have a bloody death wish."

"Tch, what the hell's wrong with you? Since when did you become so pessimistic about everything? I knew you were messed up in the head, but you were never this depressing to talk to." Squalo snorted, folding his arms.

"If you've been through what I've been through, you'd be too" Nukid stated, though part of him wasn't sure on that. Squalo was hardly the easiest guy to understand…

"Look…even if the Author Fighters and the Vongola teamed up…we can't win against the World Government. Fighting the forces of Hell would be more appealing. There's no hope for us to actually beat them…" Nukid voice trailed to a sad whisper, his head lowering as he spoke.

"Then why do you continue fighting?"

Nukid looked up at Squalo, caught off guard by the question "what?"

"You heard me asshole! If fighting them is so hopeless, then why did you save them from that Pacifista? Why did you tell them to go into hiding? Why did you go save that women when she was in danger?"

"Because they're my friends! Why else would I help them?" Nukid shouted back, but his retort surprised himself. He'd been so cynical just a minute a go, and yet…

Squalo smiled smugly "thought so. You might martyr yourself and claim there's no hope, but deep down you haven't given up yet!"

Nukid looked sceptically up at the white haired swordsman, raising an eyebrow at the assassins' unusual behaviour. He had never seen Squalo try to cheer up anyone, much less say anything particularly nice to anyone. Looking away, Nukid rubbed his eyes and groaned "good god. If you of all people are trying to cheer me up, then I truly have sunk to a new low."

"VOOI! At least I'm not acting like a whiny bitch!" Squalo spat back angrily. He turned his head away from Nukid, his white hair swinging in the air "you were never this fucking annoying in the Varia, and that's saying something!"

Nukid looked up at Squalo, giving the swordsman a grumpy and sarcastic glare "good thing you assholes got rid of me then, isn't it?"

Squalo didn't reply, but simply grunted and left, giving up trying to convince Nukid of this madness. Nukid was left to his own thoughts, and the entire situation just seemed to not make sense to him at all.

"Allies of the Vongola…never truly left…" Nukid whispered to himself, bringing his hands up to his injured face and resting his chin on top in thought.

"I honestly thought I was an enemy of the Vongola now."

**_1 year ago..._**

It was late at night, and the Vongola mansion seemed almost asleep in itself with its eerie quietness. The Mafia business was certainly not a quiet business, nor one that stopped completely at night, but at nighttime everything stopped at Vongola mansion, with the mansion becoming deathly quiet and almost defenceless in its state. Of course looks were deceiving, and if any enemies of the Vongola tried to break in, they would learn that the Vongola never truly slept.

That night however, there was a break in, but not from an enemy Mafia family, but three cautious Varia assassins. Squalo, Belphegor and Mammon had entered the empty office of Vongola IX, an act which some would see treasonous in itself. The heavy security surrounding the office had been like taking candy from a baby to these assassins, and now all three were quietly inside the room, huddled close to a cabinet to the left side of the desk chair Timoteo sat on.

"There's a file about every member of the Vongola in here. Ushishishi…" Belphegor sniggered as he read from one file. It wasn't Nukids, but the cackling assassin couldn't miss such a great opportunity to learn some people nasty secrets. The Assassins had managed to open the file cabinet without leaving suspicion of it being broken into, and the three assassins quickly flicked through the files…Well, Belphegor and Mammon did. Squalo simply watched with his arms folded, his face scrunched up to show his distaste.

"I hate doing this…" Squalo growled quietly, squeezing the fabric on his clothes "this is such an cowardly way of doing this."

"What choice do we have? We've failed to kill Nukid a hundred times now. The guy's too good" Belphegor noted grudgingly, before a frightening smile crept on his face "but even the strongest of foes fall to things like blackmail."

"Damn it! We could've killed him if we kept trying! They always say 101 is a lucky number!" Squalo tried to whisper, but his voice was getting scarily close to breaking into his typical shouting "what kind of assassins are we to be resorting to such pussy methods?"

"An assassin takes whatever chance he gets to nab his enemy. They exploit his weaknesses and show not hesitation in playing unfairly" Mammon replied stoically. He hovered over the cabinet, slowly going through the files to find Nukids "I you can't do this Squalo, then you pretty much fail as an assassin."

"VOOI! YOU WANNA TAKE THIS OUTSIDE MAMMO-" Squalo was cut off when Belphegor covered his mouth. His sword was high in the air when he was stopped, looking like a mad animal about to strike on the not-so-helpless baby.

"Stupid bastard. Are you trying to get us caught?" Belphegor hissed, rubbing sweat from his brow with his free hand.

"Thank you Belphegor" Mammon nodded. He turned back to the cabinet and continued to scan through the files. However, he suddenly stopped at one, and slowly lifted it out of the cabinet "here it is. Nukids file"

"Allright, let's find some dirt!" Belphegor said, moving to the desk where Mammon dropped the file onto. Belphegor opened it up and removed its contents onto the desk. The Assassins-including Squalo-quickly picked up sheets of paper and read quickly to find anything of use.

"Damn…so that bastard did come from another world!" Squalo said, too loud again. With a growl, he slammed the paper onto the desk "and we've got no bloody idea how to get to them! Fuck!"

"Maybe that's a blessing…" Belphegor murmured, gulping as he read, "supposedly, he was adopted by a notoriously powerfully family, his real name is "Monkey D. Matt". It seems unlikely we'd have been able to use one of them as hostages."

"Tch, there's gotta be someone!" Squalo snarled. Just then, Mammon gasped as he read a sheet, and he looked up at the two. Though with his eyes always hidden under his hood that was hard to tell.

"I believe I've found something." Mammon stated, looking back at the sheet "it seems the rumours were true. Nukid was once a member of an assassin group known as "Cipher Pol 9". However, he suddenly went rogue and killed hundreds of foot soldiers all at once."

"Nukid did?" Squalo cocked his eyebrows at this "wow, maybe he's a lot cooler than I previously thought."

"Well, after this, he somehow left his world and came to ours." Mammon then looked up at the two "and he came with a woman. A girl by the name of "Sofia Scotts""

Belphegor sniggered "looks like we've found a target, ushishishi. Mammon, use your Thoughtography and find the wench."

Mammon nodded, and took out a small piece of paper from his cloak. He held it to his face, and suddenly sneezed on it. Slowly, the snot and mucus on the sheets moved around, slowly forming a shape which looked almost like a highly detailed map. This was thoughtography, finding the location of an individual through your own mucus. It was no surprise there were so few masters of it…

"Well…found her yet Mammon?" Squalo asked impatiently. Mammon had remained silent for a while, almost as if he'd been frozen with horror. Slowly, he turned to the two assassins and whispered.

"This just got a little more complicated."

* * *

"Thanks for the medicine, Dr Shamal" Nukid chirped happily, standing up off the medical bed of Dr Shamals office. The said Dr Shamal was a tall man with neck length brown hair, with a few strands of hair around his chin, making the doctor seem less formal. He wore a typical white doctors robe, but his expression was one of irritation and annoyance.

"I can't believe you dressed up as a woman, just to have me heal you" Dr Shamal growled, scratching his hair with one hand while pointing the other towards the red dress neatly hung up on the door handle. Beside the door on the desk, a long blonde wig and two big balls laid on it.

"Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures, and I needed this flu gotten rid of fast" Nukid said, stretching his body like he'd just woken up, feeling the best he'd been for over a week now.

It was annoying, Nukid had been shot at, stabbed at, beaten, and nearly killed dozens of times, but he was always able to shrug that off. However, when he got a simple case of Flu, he was out of action for several days! It annoyed Nukid, but reminded that despite his Rokushikis, he was still vulnerable. No Tekkai could help him here.

He wanted his flu treated fast, so he obviously went to the best known doctor of the Vongola, Dr Shamal. It was said he could cure any illness, and the fact he carried several medicines on him at all time proved he was very capable. However, the guy refused to treat men, only treating women, who he constantly flirted with without exception.

And that's where the dress, the wig and the two balls come in…now Nukid knows how Cloud Strife felt.

"You're horrible, exploiting a mans weakness like that" Dr Shamal grumbled "how could you do this to your fellow man?"

"Hey, it's your fault for not seeing through it. You must be going blind if you couldn't that such a…" Nukid pointed to himself smugly "…manly man such as myself was wearing a dress and not a women, you should think about getting contact lenses."

"Hmph, just get if you're done" Dr Shamal pointed to the door "in fact, I don't care if you're done. Get out."

"Gotcha. Thanks again Dr Shamal!" Nukid said, walking out the door with a wave. When he was gone, a smile crept on Dr Shamals face, who held an empty syringe in his left hand.

"Enjoy your Diarrhoea Nukid…"

* * *

Nukid immediately blocked the punch Leviathan sent him. The big Varia agent had waited above the Varia office door, waiting for Nukid to come through. Nukid saw he was bare handed and noted they'd try this over fifty times now. Nukid felt somewhat disappointed. They were losing ideas of ways to kill him.

"Morning Leviathan" Nukid grunted, lazily throwing the assassin to the side, who landed with a quick cry of pain. Nukid walked to the nearest sofa, planting himself on the sofa and laid his head back, enjoying the moment of peace. Peace that rarely lasted long in this room.

"_**Mooooorrrrniiiiinnng Nuuukiiiid Saaaaaaan!"**_ Lussaria sang, appearing behind the sofa with his face near Nukids. Nukid growled and opened his eyes, moving his head away from the queer assassin. Lussuria, for some reason Nukid couldn't understand, grew a liking to Nukid, and quickly stopped engaging in attempts to kill him. Honestly though, Nukid would prefer that to the other kind of attention he gave him…

"Morning…" Nukid grumbled back. Lussuria ran around the sofa and sat down besides Nukid, getting too close to the assassin and making Nukid shift to the right uncomfortably.

"Oh, this is terrible Nukid San!" Lussuria cried, covering his sunglasses with his eyes "Our children have been misbehaving again! There are rumours Squalo, Belphegor and Mammon snuck into Vongola IX office last night! How horrible!"

"Really?" Nukid said with surprise, turning to the necrophilia/homosexual assassin. He decided just this once; he would ignore Lussuria for calling the other Varia members "our children".

"Yes! This is really bad, us Varia are already in serious trouble after the Cradle Incident! If this is true we might get fired!" Lussuria cried. He pointed towards his strange and colourful hairstyle "if I lose my job, how will I afford to keep my beautiful hair?"

"…I'm…sure you'll find a way" Nukid replied slowly. He turned away and thought on what he had heard, but he couldn't fathom why they would do something so insane "well, with something like this, there's not much we can do. I doubt you, me or Leviathan would suffer, and if they learnt some big secret, then we may have to kill them ourselves."

"Yea, you know all about killing your allies, don't you "Monkey D. Matt?"

Nukid span his head to the front door, where Squalo, Belphegor and Mammon came through. Squalo and Belphegor had their typical wide grin smiles painted on their lips, but there was something more nefarious in it than usual. Nukid almost skipped a beat when they mentioned his name. _So they looked in my personal file…the bastards…_. To play tough and act like their jab didn't affect them, Nukid stood up and looked Squalo in the eyes seriously "you idiots have put yourself in deep shit, breaking into Timoteo office like that! I wouldn't be surprised if he has you three ki-"

"Squalo, Belphegor and Mammon will not be punished for their actions."

Nukid was shocked when he heard the voice of Vongola IX, Timoteo. Everyone turned to see the old man enter the room, looking passively at Nukid and the rebellious group of assassins under his employment. Nukid couldn't believe the old man was here, in all the months he'd worked here, Timoteo had never came down to Varia office. And what he had just said just now…

"Old man, you can't be serious!" Nukid protested "I'm all up for forgiveness and shit, but these guys stole potentially precious secrets!"

"This is my decision, Varia leader Nukid. You will do as I say." Vongola IX stated. His speech and stature was cold, hard and nonnegotiable. Nukid quickly saw through it then.

"You're not the real Vongola IX" Nukid growled. It was quite impressive, Nukid grudgingly admitted. He couldn't tell at first glance it was a fake. But with such a change in expression and tone, this was not the kind old leader he'd met back when he started.

"Tch, I figured you see through it" Squalo chuckled "but thankfully, you're one of few. If we replace him with the real Vongola IX, no one would be able to tell the difference!"

"Oh really? What about Timoteo guardians? Or Reborn?" Nukid asked sceptically. He felt a shudder inside of him when he mentioned the latter. Reborns legacy as the greatest hitman was well known, and Nukid had worked with him on several missions during his time here.

He'd always have many sleepless nights afterwards…

"His guardians are all out on individual missions, and they won't be back for a while." Belphegor sniggered "as is Reborn. No one is around to stop our rebellion, ushishishishi."

"Rebellion?" Leviathan repeated, finally standing back up from where Nukid had thrown him. He looked at his allies with an almost childish excitement "you mean…we're finally putting our plan into action? But…what about Lord Xanxu-"

"He's been freed" Mammon declared, completely silencing the entire room, Leviathan and Lussuria face openly shocked at the news "we're not sure who did it, or _how _he did it, but Xanxus has been freed from the ice trapped around him. He's currently resting in one of our hidden bases."

"Ooh, suuupppeeeeerrr!" Lussuria cheered, clapping his hands fast like an overly excited woman "oh it's been ages since we first planned it! I must put on my best make up for Xanxus!"

"What are you bastards talking about?" Nukid demanded, not liking what he was hearing amongst his allies. Squalo walked up to Nukid and stared at him straight in the face.

"Simple, baka. We're finishing what we started over six years ago" Squalo stated, licking his smiling lips "we're taking over the Vongola and putting Xanxus on top!"

Nukid didn't immediately reply, opting to consider everything they had just said, taking bits of this plan they had formed and fitting it the best he could on his own. What he came up with was certainly not pleasant "you bastards…so you're planning to off the old man, switch him with your fake, and name Xanxus the successor?"

Mammon floated upwards and came down between Nukid and Squalo "unfortunately it's not that simple. As you may have heard, Timoteo had recently named a successor, Tsunayoshi Sawada."

"Aye, what of it?" Nukid asked. It was true he'd heard a successor had been named, but he hadn't heard his name. Nukid hadn't been particularly interested.

"Well, this Tsuna is the son of Iemitsu Sawada, the leader of the CEDEF. In naming their successor, he has as much say over who it is, and no doubt he will back his son as the rightful heir to the position" Mammon explained.

"So, it'll likely come down to us Varia and the brats weak guardians fighting for Vongola Rings" Squalo grunted. He raised his sword and smiled cockily as he held it near his face "but there's no way we'll lose to some fucking punks!"

"I see…" Nukid whispered, taking it all in. They had certainly thought this one through, but in the end their arrogance was their downfall "unfortunately, telling me all this is your ultimate downfall. You guys can't kill me, so what's stopping me from going to Timoteo right now and telling him all thi-"

"Sofia Scotts."

Nukid instantly froze; staring shocked and scared eyes at the white haired assassin. These eyes of fear quickly turned to ones of rage, and before Squalo knew it Nukid had his hands wrapped around Squalo throat, lifted off of the ground as Nukid held him by the throat.

"What did you just say…" Nukid growled, his eyes flaring with pure rage "…if you've done something to her-"

"It's…it's not us…who could do…something to her…" Squalo wheezed, smiling cockily despite suffocating from Nukids grip.

"What are you talking about? Answer me!" Nukid barked. He slightly loosened his grip so Squalo could reply better.

Squalo smile widened "do you know what a Darkside is?"

* * *

The bedroom of Vongola IX Timoteo was calm and quiet as you entered it.

Nukid stepped into the room, careful with each step not to make a noise and wake the old man up. He stepped slowly towards his huge bed, a bed that once likely once used by two at night. It didn't take Nukid long to stand directly above the man, staring down at him sleeping. He looked so peaceful and tranquil, even more than usual. It was surprising how easy it was to get close to him. Nukid half expected to be dead right now…

Nukid looked solemnly at the old man, and felt a tug at his heart. He cursed the Varia over and over in his mind. The thing they were about to make him do made him feel sick inside, but he knew he had no choice. The Varia had hardly given him one.

"_Darksides? What's a Darkside?" Nukid asked, raising his eyebrows._

"_Supposedly, they are creatures born from someone's very darkness, forming a shape befitting their inner dark self. Despite the secrecy of their existence, it's been said they've been around for thousands of years" Mammon explained._

"_As such, they have left several artefacts and architecture from thousands of years back, one including a temple which was a church of sorts for the Darkside king god, Rasets." Leviathan explained, crossing his arms._

"_We once secretly sent fifty of our men there to search the place…not a single on returned from inside it…ushishishi…" Belphegor sniggered "…guess who's gone down there now?"_

"_S…Sofia?" Nukid whispered the answer. He looked down, away from Squalo in horror, simply because he knew it to be true. She was training to be an archaeologist, he knew Mammons Thoughtography was always accurate, and…she was too much like her sister. Nukid quickly looked back up at Squalo and growled frantically "Where is this temple?"_

_Squalo chuckled "we'll tell you…but first we want you to do something for us."_

Nukid raised his closed right hand up, aiming straight for the old mans skull. He wouldn't hit him too hard, just enough to knock him out for a while. Still, this act of betrayal made Nukid shake all over, adding to his list another instant of betrayal thanks to circumstance.

Suddenly, Timoteo moved, and Nukid almost tripped over in surprise. The steps quickly opened Vongola IX eyes, and the old man looked ready to jump out and attack. However, when he saw the person near him was Nukid, he could only look with eyes of shock and sad horror.

"N..Nukid…" Timoteo whispered "…what are you doi-"

Nukid swung his fist down, and connected with the old mans forehead. With a small groan, the old man head slumped down onto the pillar, his face calm and his eyes closed. He was not dead, nor would he be critically harmed, but he would be out for a while.

This did not stop Nukids hand from shaking violently for what he had just done. This man, who had offered him a place to work and showed him kindness despite his past…and Nukid had just played a part in the rebellion against him…

Nukid shook his head, and tried to suppress his guilt. He was doing this for Sofia. If he did this they would tell him where she is. Quickly, Nukid grabbed Timoteo from out of his bed and slumped him over his shoulder, carrying the old man with ease out of the bedroom.

While he walked to the Varia hideout, Nukid couldn't help but think of the repercussions this would have, and growled at the simple fact the Varia had succeeded in getting rid of him. Now Timoteo had seen him play a part in this rebellion, even if he survived and stopped the rebellion, Vongola IX would know Nukid helped particularly. At the very least, Nukid would never work for the Vongola again. If he felt vengeful however, he would have the entire Vongola family after him.

Bitterly, Nukid sighed to himself, _Looks like I've been used again…_

_**End flashback…**_

It felt like forever since Nukid felt this good.

In a matter of days, the several horrific injuries Oldkid had given Nukid had disappeared thanks to the use of Sun Flames. The facial injuries, the broken bones, and even the huge stab wound in his chest. Nukid felt back to his normal tiptop condition, and as such was in a better mood than usual.

"I suppose I owe you my thanks" Nukid grunted, turning to the five Varia members who come to see him off…or make their final insults at him "thank you. This doesn't mean I forgive you for what you made me do to Timoteo!"

"Hmph. You just better hope Timoteo doesn't decide to let us finally slit your throat!" Squalo laughed "though, we'll be busy for a while, fighting and killing World Government pigs!"

Nukid looked critically at the Varia, before huffing and turning away "well, if you retards want to die, then by all means do. However, don't expect to bring the Author Fighters down with you. We're gonna survive…I'll make sure of it."

Nukid slowly walked out to the door, despite being completely healed and backed into shape. Before he left the room, Nukid stopped and turned back to the Varia. He scratched his hair embarrassingly as he looked honestly at the group.

"I'm…bad with saying goodbye, so I'll just get to the point" Nukid said innocently, looking the five Varia members straight in the eyes.

"I hate you all and I hope you die slow, painful deaths."

"You too Nukes!"

* * *

Nukid walked quickly through the mansion; heading straight for where he remembered to front door was from his time working here. He felt no pain walking; feeling completely rejuvenated thanks to the Varia, and wanted nothing more now than to get out of the building. He'd hoped to not be seen during his exit, but to his relief the mansion was a lot quieter and emptier than usual. It seemed they were taking this declarations of war quite seriously.

Shaking his head, Nukid tried to not think on what the Vongola were doing. He never asked them for their help, and while he was grateful they saved him, he didn't want to feel sympathy for them entering a battle they had no chance of winning. He would go back to his friends at Castle Doran, and from there come up with a way to protect his friends and keep them all alive.

"Leaving already, scum?"

Nukid stopped and turned towards the growling, insulting voice to his right. He looked over to diverging corridor the man spoke from, and saw a man with spiky black hair with buzz cuts on each side. He wore the Varia uniform loosely, almost like a cape, and wore a white shirt under it. His hair was also adorned with feathers and an animal tail at the nape of his neck, coming over his left shoulder to rest in the front.

But what was most noticeable were those scars. Covering parts of his face-almost completely his left face-were burn marks received from his fight against his adopted father Timoteo. Supposedly, those scar covered his whole body, and some rumoured when he powered up, his scars expanded across his body.

"Well now, look who we have here. It's the little black sheep of the family, Xanxus" Nukid chuckled, meeting Xanxus mocking smile "this is the first time you and I have met."

"Aye" Xanxus grunted "I suppose I should thank you for looking after my subordinates for a year, but…well, only Lussuria had kind words for you."

"Figures" Nukid rolled his eyes. He turned away from Xanxus and began to walk away "well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've heard how much of an ass you are, so I believe I'll take my leave."

"And go where? Back to your Author friends?" Xanxus replied, strangely calm, considering what he'd heard about Xanxus short temper. This felt somewhat concerning to Nukid.

"Of course. Without me they're hopeless. I need to get back and save their asses before they do something irresponsib-"

"Don't bother. You're too weak to save them."

Nukid turned back to the smiling Varia leader, and looked at him with a mix of shock and quickly growing anger "what was that?"

"I said you're too weak. You saw what Oldkid did to you. You go back with your current strength, and the same thing will happen over and over again." Xanxus snarled "you can't do anything to protect your friends. Eventually they'll all get ki-"

Xanxus gasped when Nukid suddenly ran forward and grabbed the Varia leader by the collar, lifting him into the air and slamming him into the wall. Xanxus looked down angrily at Nukid, but was met with a face of pure restrained fury, of someone ready to burst at any second.

"You've got some bloody nerve to call me weak" Nukid growled, pushing Xanxus further up "I've heard what happened with your little rebellion! You lost to that Tsuna kid! I've met him myself, and he's a wimp, so what does that make you?"

Xanxus didn't reply to this insult, instead glaring daggers down at Nukid. Mammon had mentioned he got like this everytime Tsuna was mentioned. Nukid was glad it was true.

Nukid smiled "I believe I've proved my point. Now, you ever speak about me or my friends like that again, and I'll-"

"What, kill me? I'd like to see you actually try and kill someone!" Xanxus cackled in Nukids face "Squalo told me all about you! About how you always hesitate the moment you're about to kill someone. What a pathetic excuse of an assassin you are! I hear you were once a prodigy, but all that changed when some slutty girlfriend of yours died!"

Nukid lost it.

Xanxus was sent flying down the corrider with a single punch from Nukid. He smashed into the wall at the end of said corrider, breaking the wall from te impact. Xanxus laid curled up on the floor, surrounded by the debris of the hit. He tried to move, but Nukid was there on him like a wild animal. He grabbed Xanxus by the shoulder and tossed him around, and held Xanxus by the shirt with his right hand, staring at him with a mask of fury

And then, Nukid raised his left hand, extended his first finger, and aimed it at Xanxus skull.

"Do it…" Xanus whispered, smiling as blood poured out from his mouth "…DO IT! LET ME SEE HOW MUCH OF A REAL KILLER YOU ARE!"

Nukid looked down at Xanxus, and then at his extended finger, and the memories of Maria, of the atrocities that he himself committed flooded back into him, and he felt the strength flow out of him. He released Xanxus from his grip, and he looked dazedly at the wall in front of him.

"I can't do it…" Nukid whispered "…even after everything that's happened…I still can't kill another man."

* * *

**Damn, a long chapter ^^'. I hope you enjoyed, and next chapter the AF vs. The FREAK Unit will continue! Of course, part of it will still be related to my story, but only a small part this time. Stay tuned!**


	23. Author Fighters Vs The FREAK Unit Part 3

Hey everyone. Another late chapter, along with an update of Zeo. Enjoy!

* * *

X Prodigy listened silently to Roscoso as he explained the current situation. The Hollow Devil sat up in his bed, only recently awakening from the strange coma that had suddenly hit him. The strange dream that he experienced which felt like a distance memory had been put on hold with what the Pokemorph was explaining calmly to him. Advent sat on the floor between them, listening just as intensively.

"So that's about it. Nukes is missing and a few of us went to look for him. Problem is, we haven't heard back from any of them for a while now," Ross explained, frowning with concern "I'm starting to worry they might be in trouble."

"Bloody idiot…" X growled, turning away with disgust "…he's the one that said we had to stay hidden, and then he does something like this?"

"To be fair, Sofia did get kidnapped. I'd have probably done the same thing in his shoe" Ross pointed out, resting his head on his left hand "we practically had to restrain Hikari from running off to save the boss."

"Still, we've gotta go and find Nukid!" Advent suddenly exclaimed, jumping to his feet "if we don't, what will I do about my spin off idea?"

"Your…what?" X replied, staring oddly at Advent.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten! I've been planning this for months!" Advent cried out, waving his arms out "it's a parody of "Jake and Amir" from College Humor, only I'd call this "Nukid and Advent". Two authors, working side-by-side, desk-by-desk. Can Nukid handle the mad and zany antics Advent gets up to? Stay tuned to find out!"

X Prodigy and Roscoso stared silently down at the young Jashinist, not sure how to react to the sadists' strange idea. So they decided not to react to it at all "right…well, Advent is right, we need to find Nukid. I say we go help the others, especially if they're in trouble." X Prodigy suggested

Ross nodded "sounds like a plan. I just hope everyone out there is okay…"

* * *

Ranger24 held his sword back, he sent the giant sword swinging round, intending to swipe the Rokushiki/Nanto Seiken user Hayato directly under his left armpit. Hayato smiled, and blurted "Geppou!" and he suddenly went flying into the air, using geppou several times over to keep himself in the air. Ranger quickly withdrew his blade back, ready to slice forward again at the flying FREAK Unit Agent.

"Why don't you come down and fight me instead of jumping up there?" Ranger coaxed mockingly, a smug smile appearing on his lips.

Hayato chuckled "don't get cocky know Author Fighter. I'm just waiting-" suddenly, Hayato flipped in the air and used Geppou propel himself to the ground "-For the right moment to strike!"

"Just try it!" Ranger roared, readying his sword to strike upwards. When Hayato was but a few feet away, Ranger swung his sword sideways with such brute force the air around almost seemed to slice in half as well. Despite the strength and speed of the swing however, Hayato not only dodged the blade, he practically _hovered _over it, his body spinning slowly over the blade as it went past below him, like the wind the slash generated kept this mans body in the air. Ranger knew though-from experience and a keen eye-he'd use Geppou in a strange manner.

Ranger did not have long to be amazed by Hayato graceful dodge, because the FREAK agent sent his right hand-not just finger-straight towards Ranger face like a sword about to impale it's opponent. Ranger pulled his whole body to his right, the tip of Hayato's first finger cutting the edge of his left cheek. Ranger jumped a few steps to his right, regaining his balance and charging forward at Hayato once again. To stop him from dodging into the air, Ranger held his sword over his head and sent it slamming downwards, intending to slice the Nanto Seiken user in half. Hayato gasped slightly, and promptly caught both side of the sword in-between his clasped hands, but the strength of Ranger seemed to slightly overpower him, Hayato sweating down a face that showed struggle from trying to stop the blade from moving.

Ranger thought he had him there. He figured the CP9 agent wouldn't be able to move in such a position, but the Nanto Seiken user proved to have a trick up his sleeve. Ranger noticed one of the mans crouching legs lifted slightly into the air. Ranger cocked an eyebrow at this, but staggered when Hayato suddenly kicked the leg straight at Ranger gut. Ranger took a step back, knowing he would only get tapped and wouldn't lose his grip on his sword, and his advantage over Hayato.

But then blood started pouring down Hayato's foot.

Ranger felt the sensation in his gut of the tip of a knife stabbing. Not the whole blade, just the tip. Normally, such a wound would've been shrugged off by Ranger, but the surprise of the sudden pain caused Range to slightly lower the force he put onto his sword, and that was all Hayato needed to swing the sword aside to his right, and Geppou into the flying like a fish diving out the water.

Ranger clutched the bloody, throbbing wound _Great. Even their feet are like blades…_ Ranger looked up with a growling expression of frustration, his opponent proving to be slipperier than he had thought. He reached for his holster and took out his Desert Eagle Sol and shot three bullets at the Nanto Seiken user as if he was trying to shoot down passing birds. Hayato, with obviously incredibly keen senses, blocked all three shots with his bare palms, the bullets splitting into tiny fragments of shrapnel with contact.

"Not gonna work Author!" Hayato roared down at Ranger. He crossed his arms against his chest, before swinging his arms violently at speeds that made it look like he had over a dozen arms, never stopping to rest. Ranger saw what he was doing for a moment, and was perplexed by his strange motion that seemed to do nothing.

This was before the hundred of Rankyaku's rained down on the earth.

In seconds, the entire area-surrounding Ranger became a giant dust cloud, due to the hundreds of Rankyaku's hitting the ground and slashing the ground to bits. The Rankyaku's fell to the ground like heavy rainfall with the sound of rock being broken and a sound eerily familiar to flesh being cut. By the time it stopped, nothing moved from within the dust cloud, the place shadowed over with a tension akin to the aftermath of a long and bloody battle.

Hayato descended to the ground perfectly on his feet, and surveyed the scene before him. With a dissatisfied grunt, Hayato spoke "a rankyaku is where a Rokushiki master kicks the air so hard it creates an air blade" Hayato raised his hands up "but since my hands have been trained to be like blades, I can create Rokushikis with them too."

As the dust cloud of debris slowly began to fade, Hayato slowly walked in, looking for the carcass of Ranger24 "I had Oldkid to give me the strongest Author Fighter as my opponent, but either Oldkid didn't think me worthy, or he overestimated your skill, and knowing him, I doubt the latter" Hayato growled disgustfully "regardless Ranger24, you were a dissapointme-"

A large shadow appeared behind Hayato, and a sword came crashing down upon Hayato.

Hayato gasped, span around to face Ranger24, and managed to jump back in time to dodge being sliced in half by Ranger, but he did not go unscathed. The tip of Rangers blade hit Hayato on his right side, and sliced down his body, starting from his shoulder and finishing above his leg. It was not too deep, but it was long and it hurt Hayato like hell, the FREAK Unit agent cried out in agony when he was slashed, nearly falling down when he jumped back.

Ranger raised his now bloody sword back up, and rested it over his right shoulder, a cocky grin on his face "who's the disappointment now?"

Hayato looked painfully at Ranger, and them looked at his own huge wound. Hayato may have hit Ranger many more times, but they were paper cuts compared to the wound Ranger had just given him. Hayato grimaced. In one move, Ranger had equalised the fight.

And yet, a spark of excitement came to life inside Hayato.

"How embarrassing…" Hayato chuckled, but alongside a painful groan "…I called you a disappointment and acted so cocky while being so defenceless…and underestimating you. Forgive me, Ranger24."

"Yeah, yeah…" Ranger mumbled, lifting his sword back up and aiming it towards Hayato "listen punk, I got two things to say. One; I admire you for wanting to take on the strongest. Very much something I would do."

"And…the second thing…you wish to tell me?" Hayato panted, readying himself to charge.

Ranger grinned "Oldkid was right: I am the strongest!"

With a grin of excitement on both of their faces, Ranger24 and Hayato charged at each other.

* * *

"Hey hey Author Fucker! Where are yoooooou?"

Quill stood at the edge of a wall creating a street that split from a larger but still uncomfortably cramped street. These streets were close to several houses, this obviously being a household part of the city, and the walls on both sides were large and almost made Quill feel claustrophobic. Still, Quill was somewhat grateful for this right now since it hid him from the FREAK Unit agent with seemingly eyes in every direction, the visor wearing H.H.

Quill knew however that H.H. was stepping closer and closer to his position, and his slight usage of these large walls would become a disadvantage again. It was hard for Quill to fight properly in such narrow streets, while H.H. on the other made it look like a breeze, and had been quick to point that out, much to Quills frustration.

Quill breathed in deeply, and tried to think calmly over what to do. He had several powers and techniques at his disposal, but the more energy he used now could be a big problem if more of these strange CP9 Agents appear…the thought this guy could only just be the appetizer was a despairing one. Besides, with this guy's seemingly 360-degree vision, a straight out powerful attack would properly be noticed and either dodged or stopped before it even began. No, Quill would have to beat him with a quick, sudden sneak attack that caught him off guard.

But how do you sneak up on someone who could see everywhere at once?

Quill tried to keep calm as his mind raced to think of a plan. _Come on Quill…come on…wind mastery…ice mastery…my weapons…Kamen Rider…shapeshifti-_

That was it, thought Quill. As a Lunar Exalted, he has the ability to take on the forms of any animal he kills in a ritual hunt by drinking their Heart's Blood. With this, it would matter if H.H. could see everywhere at once, because he'd be suspecting Quill in his human form, not an animal form!

Currently, HQ could transform into a wolf, mouse, bobcat, marlin, hawk, tiger, and blue jay. It didn't take long for Quill to decide, mouse was perfect for this job. Closing his eyes, Quill felt the energy inside him pulsated around his body, and slowly he could feel his body change, grow smaller and smaller, his skin become covered with white fur, whisker appear out from under his nose.

And a tail come out his end…he never enjoyed that part.

Taking a moment to gain his balance on four legs, Quill scurried off in his mouse form down the long, narrow street where H.H. paced casually down it in Quill opposite direction. He still thought Quill was hiding near the edge of a seperating street, and Quill squeek a growl in his form at the sick smile on H.H. face, enjoying the game of cat and mouse he'd been playing against Quill.

This almost made Quill wish he hadn't chosen his mouse form.

Quill scurried down the street and eventually got extremely close to H.H., to the Agents right near the cold brick wall. He knew with this guys sight he probably hadn't gone unnoticed, but he hoped H.H. wouldn't care about a small passing mouse…or he had a fear of mice. H.H. however didn't seem to take the slightest notice of Quill in his mouse form, and soon enough Quill scurried out into the road and was almost directly behind the clueless assassin.

Quill would have to be quick. Even from behind, H.H would still see him. Quill would have to turn back into his human form, draw out his gun and fire within a split second to get H.H. before he could react. The element of surprise was with him despite his opponents abilities, and perhaps is only chance of winning. Carefully channeling his energy inside him, Quill almost instantaniously changed back to a human, drew out Dragon Breaker from his coat, and fired.

And once again, H.H. caught the bullet in between his first and second finger.

"Wh-what?" Quill gasped, horrified that he had caught it yet again. Were his reactions that honed? Was he not shocked at all he'd turned into a mouse?

_Oh god…_Quill whispered in his head _…did he know I'd shapeshifted? How could he-_

Quill was snapped out of his train of thought when H.H. came soaring at him with Soru, directly in front of him in a split second. Before Quill could react in any fashion, H.H. slammed his left open palm directly into his gut like he was slapping him with force. That was certainly how it felt, because it sent Quill sprawling into the air and landing on his back onto the hard ground. Quill tried to get up quickly, but when he sat up, his gut started to churn horribly inside to the point of aching. Uill gasped for breath, but his now agonising gut caused him to choke and cough and lose concentration. One mere slap to the gut, and he felt like he was about to cough up blood.

"Hard to fight internal injuries on the battlefield. There's not a plaster for that" H.H. chuckled, walking slowly, almost mockingly towards Quill. Quill sat on his knees, his right hand holding his body up, while his left hand clutched his gut and the author choked and coughed, saliva running down to the floor. H.H knelt beside him on one knee, violently grabbed him by the cheeks, and lifted his head up to look directly at him

"I must admit, turning into a mouse like that was pretty awesome. You would've succeeded in sneaking up on me if I couldn't see through walls" H.H. revealed. Quill heard that through his choking, and silently cursed _Damn…so that's how he knew…_

"But really, there's a painful bit of irony to that form you chose" H.H. sniggered, leaning close to Quills "all you Author Fighters are are a pack of mice, and the World Government is one large, hungry cat. All you Authors can do is hide from our claws."

"Sh…shut up…w…we'll beat you!"

"Oh, well now isn't that adorable?" H.H. smiled, shaking his head "but no, you Author Fighters will fall. Don't blame yourselves though. Destiny decided you would join that group, and destiny has decided you sinners will die. Can't fight fate in the end. Even your friend Nukid knew that!"

"That's not true…Nukid is fighting like the rest of us…"

"Oh please, from what I've heard, he told you all to hide from us. I thought that was smart of him, but then the idiot goes out in the open for his bitch!"

"Shut up…"

"And like a flock of sheep, you guys follow him! It's not even fucking funny how mad you all are! I'm surprised no one's killed you retards sooner than this!"

"Shut up!"

"But don't worry, your despair's nearly over. Soon you'll be dead…including your ex girlfriend Dawn."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Quill roared, and his left fist, gloved in Ice shaped with spikes swung up at H.H. face. While H.H. had been bragging, Quill had been secretly covering his left hand with ice-making it look like he was rubbing his aching gut, ready to surprise smash the cocky FREAK unit agent in the face. The attack had caught him off guard, because H.H. gasped and quickly flipped his body back to dodge the attack. While he didn't get completely smashed in the face, one of the spikes cut just uder his left eye, and then proceeded to hit the visor covering H.H. eyes.

And then, the visor fell to the ground with a clang.

Quill used this chance to get back to his feet, still feeling the pain in his gut. But no amount of pain lessened the shock of what he saw, and the understanding of H.H. true power and origin.

"Byakugan!"

* * *

Liberi felt like a squirrel that had been raped by a lawnmower.

Liberi knelt beside the wall of a somehow standing building on the street he had been forced to fight this juggernaut of an opponent. He'd gotten away from the area where most of the corpses were laid about, anyone who had been around these parts would've ran at the sound of heavy gunfire. This made Liberi at least thankful only he was most likely about to die.

Liberi pushed his back off the wall, and rested his crouching body on the SRSD 99 Sniper Rifle. This rifle was his only shot at surviving, and it was a slim one at that. Fighting the monstrously powerful Private Spartan at close range was like Tyrion Lannister trying to wrestle down Gregor Clegane-strange place for a Song Of Ice And Fire reference-; it was simply impossible. She was ten times stronger, faster and packed better equipment than him. It was only through a few veteran tricks and what felt like hours of endless running that he managed to escape the CP9/Spartan agent.

He knew though if she found him again, he was screwed.

His whole body ached like mad, he was certain his bones were broke in several spots, and his eyes blurred with dizziness in due from the growing headache, but Liberi forced himself off the ground and turned to look up the building he had leaned on. He needed to find a high position, high enough to look over the entire area, find the psychopathic Spartan and patiently wait for a chance when her defences were down

And with his SRSD 99 Sniper Rifle, finish her off with one shot.

Liberi scanned the building, and shook his head. _This ain't good enough. It's not high enough, and looks like it's about to crumble anyway. There's gotta be somewhere I can station myse-._

Liberi noticed in the corner of his eye, the building to his right. It looked like it was home to about half a dozen flats, such small estates not uncommon in the quieter areas of a town or city. Despite the few numbers of supposed residence though, it was quite a tall building, and could easily look over the wrecked buildings for perhaps even a mile. More than enough distance. Why hadn't Liberi noticed it earlier?

Liberi slapped himself in the face a few times, trying to knock his usual 24/7 perception. _Concentrate Liberi…concentrate…_Liberi looked down at his hand, feeling a small but growing pain in his forehead _dammit…that fucking woman's left me in a mess. I can't even think straight!_

Breathing in deeply once, Liberi sprinted to the building he had picked and made his way to the roof, which was available thanks to some stairs inside. Liberi walked to the very edge of the building, and lowered his body till he was lying on his stomach. He aimed his sniper rifle with the barrel over the edge, and looked left and right with it. He was pleased and relieved to see he was able to see all around him without much trouble. This position wasn't perfect-he could've done with something taller-but it was satisfactory.

And now, all Liberi had to do was find Private Spartan. Liberi looked in every direction in front, not missing a single space of the destroyed area, but the psychopathic Spartan was nowhere to be seen. She could possibly be hiding amongst the debris, but she (hopefully) didn't know he was up here, ready to put a bullet between her eyes. And with that possibility not known to her, what could she possibly need to hide from the guy she's been pulverising for?

Liberi felt fear run down his body, something he hadn't felt in a while, even with all that shit that went down with the Pacifistas. At least then he wasn't alone. But here, he was forced to fight this insanely strong, well-trained, and mentally unstable soldier all by himself. He was physically weaker, slower, far more beat up, and she seemed to be able to pull weapons from out her ass. Liberi considered himself a loner, but by god he wish he had someone there with him right now.

Suddenly, Liberi heard a loud bang from one of the streets down below. Liberi quickly focused on that point with his rifle, and saw her; Private Spartan, walking out onto the road after breaking through a wall to get to it…seemingly with only a quick tap with her right hand.

_This is it _Liberi thought with excitement. Almost frantically, Liberi focused towards her and tried to get the perfect spot, the top centre of the glass on her helmet, directly between her eyes. That part of the armour wasn't nearly as protected as the rest. One shot from SRSD 99 Sniper Rifle would do the trick_. Now, if she only stopped frantically running across the street left and right, I'd get the perfect shot on her…_

Indeed, Private Spartan refused to keep still, constantly running across the street in desperate search for Agent Liberi. Liberi thanked whatever god existed that she hadn't spotted him up here. Even though you couldn't see her face, Liberi could tell by the way she moved, the way she constantly looked in every direction frantically, that she wasn't calm. In fact, she seemed to almost be panicking.

"Where is he?…WHERE IS HE?" Private Spartan screamed. Liberi felt chills all over body when she screamed. He was a significant distance away from her, and yet her voice ringed through his ears. Then again, she seemed to be the type of person who was loud no matter what mood she was in. Suddenly, Liberi gasped when Private Spartan did the stupidest thing you could do in a battle: she threw off her helmet.

The menacing woman that had tormented Liberi for several hours had a very womanly face, nothing like some of the women soldiers he had met. Her face was thin but not bony, her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had amber eyes and red lips, and she looked very young for a Spartan. She could have been very beautiful. But by god, was she pale. And the bags under her eyes were huge. "No, no, no, NO!" Private Spartan screamed, clutching her rocking head with her hands. She fell back to the wall of a destroyed house on Liberi left side till she was sitting on her ass, her knees near her head. She sobbed loudly to the disbelief of Agent Liberi. He had seen this woman show pleasure in tormenting him, frustration in him escaping and anger when he tried to fight back, but this was an emotion he never thought she'd show. Fear.

"I've gotta find him…" Private Spartan sobbed, rubbing her teary eyes. For a second he thought she was calming down, but then she screamed "I've gotta find that Freelancer before he takes me away again!"

Liberi jolted at this sudden statement. _Freelancer…take her away again?_

"I don't wanna go back to that laboratory…I DON'T WANNA GO BACK!" Spartan screamed, tears flowing down faster as she buried her face within her hands. Liberi considered what she had just said, and an image of what was wrong came to him.

It was a known fact within the UNSC how SPARTAN-II recruits were found; they were children-usually orphans, though not always-and were taken to Reach for physical and psychological training to fight the Covenant, and that's before they are biologically and cybernetically augmented and enhanced. Not many of the children survived the procedure. It was a unsettling thing they did, but most people who were alive during the war with the Covenant agreed it was a necessary evil. Still, Liberi knew and understood that it must've been hell to go through, so he wasn't the least surprised many children tried to run away.

It seemed possible this SPARTAN-II lass had been one of those runners…and just like the rest, she hadn't ran very far.

It was most likely the case she was suffering from heavy Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Liberi shook his head, mentally scolding himself. _Dammit soldier, this is not the time to be sympothising with the woman who beat just the living shit outta ya a few moments ago!_

With a deep breath, Liberi blocked out any feelins of pity and sorrow he had for this woman. He'd done this many times in his mercenary career. He aimed the rifle directly at the SPARTAN/CP9 agents left side of her forehead, a shot now possible with her helmet gone. It would be over quickly with one shot, Liberi now felt no hesitation pulling the trigger. Hell, he was probably putting her out of her misery. Liberi pressed down on the trigger.

BANG

A moment later, Liberi felt the Sniper Rifle slip from his hands, a tremble running down his lower lip.

Private Spartan held the single bullet between her fingers.

And now, she was looking directly at Liberi.

"Oh son of a-"

* * *

"And twist, and turn, and PARRY!"

Phoenix grunted when Kodou's blade hit her Keyblade, the Flicker of Hope, fatigue and frustrations causing her arms to shake when she held his sword back. The fight between the two had been going for twenty minutes, with the two in a contest of strength and speed. The two clash blades with each other over and over, neither refusing to back down from the other.

But now, Phoenix was gasping for breath, and she was sweating all over. Most of the time when she went into a fight, the only strategy she had was "kick their butts as fast as possible." She didn't want to waste all her energy in case of another opponent, so she had tried to beat Koudou with persistant attacks, hoping to overpower him or catch him with an off guard attack. But whatever she threw at Koudou, the swordsman blocked seemingly without any trouble or without overexerting himself.

And to add to her frustration, whenever he attacked, the strike seemed half hearted, like he wasn't even trying to hurt her.

Phoenix Keyblade rebounded off of Koudou sword, and the young author almost fell backwards. The moment she regained balance was short, for Phoenix fell forward onto her knees, her body resting on the keyblade as she panted heavily. Watching silently, Koudou walked over to Phoenix and knelt down beside her. He was neither sweating or out of breath.

"Damn lady, you are persistant. Though if I was fighting someone as attractive as myself, I'd be persistant too" Koudou chuckled. Phoenix left eye twitched.

"Shut…UP!" Phoenix snarled, jumping and swinging her sword upwards at Koudou's chin. Koudou however practically dived into the air and backflipped away from her. With a growl, Phoenix charged forward and swung over and over with the Flicker of Hope, repeating the scenario they were in a minute ago.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of dear. They say love can bloom on the battlefield!" Koudou proclaimed "but, sadly my duties as a bringer of justice do not allow me to find true love…Still, Saturdays are free."

"I'm gonna to kick your ass if you don't shut up!" Phoenix spat. She knew Koudou was trying to get her angry, but part of her just didn't care. Besides the horrible fact he seemed to completely outmatch her, the guy was so annoying! She lifted her Keyblade over her head, and sent the Keyblade plummeting down to the ground, almost as if she was about to slice Koudou in half.

The Flicker of Hope hit the earth, and Koudou appeared behind Phoenix, his sword unsheathed and next to Phoenix's left cheek.

"Come on Miss Phoenix…this is getting boring now" Koudou groaned, rubbing the back of his head "can't you see I'm simply stronger than you? I thought you'd figure it out, but you're obviously too proud to admit it. I actually find that kind of hot y'know."

"Stronger than me?…" Phoenix repeated. For a second her face betrayed the intended sarcasm, Koudou had so far proved his statement true. With a small gulp, Phoenix growled and span around, knocking away Koudou blade with her Keyblade befre jumping back. "…We'll see about that! Gravity Punch!"

Koudou eyes widened when he saw energy disperse all over Phoenix body. A second later, and with a cry Koudou was flung backwards into the air by an unseeable force. With a thump, he landed on the ground, but the force of the gravity slam kept his body rolling backwards. By the time it stopped, Koudou was lying on the ground, uninjured but very surprised.

"…Okay, did I just get the psychic equivilant of being bitch slapped?" Koudou sat up with a flourish and bellowed "how in Hollow's name did ya do that?"

"I can control gravity in anyway I see fit, and I can do more than simple gravity pushes! Knight Valor!" Phoenix roared, her energy pulsating once more. Koudou braced for another attack similar to earlier, but to his astonishment no attack was aimed at him.

Instead, he noticed Phoenix's feet float slightly into the air.

It was then that Phoenix charged forward, her Keyblade held like a spear. Koudou was shocked by the sudden speed she generated, and literally fell backwards in order to dodge the strike. He looked up and watched to see Phoenix almost upwards and spin around in the air, circling back down for another strike at the CP9 agent. With a curse, Koudou sprang up and held up his sword to block the tip of the keyblade.

Koudou groaned slightly when sword and keyblade connected, having to fight back an attack which had the entire weight and force of the user behind it. Koudou was reduced to one knee, but with a sudden roar he forced her attack back and off of him, sending Phoenix back upwards into the air. She floated back slight, before charging down again, this time sending several swings of her Keyblade down in quick succession. Koudou blocked, but proved to have a much more difficult time than earlier.

_Calm down…she may have gotten higher ground, but she's got one huge flaw in her new strength_ Koudou thought calmly. Slowly, he lowered his right hand off of his sword, and extended the first finger _her defence is open like this…still, aim for the shoulder. Maybe she'll give up if I hit her once…_

Phoenix floated back, and span around in mid air to prepare for another spear-like charge with her Keyblade. As she span around, she quickly reached into her pocket, and put on a strange kind of Gauntlet, with an even stranger stone placed inside of it. She charged downwards at Koudou with her Keyblade first.

"Shigan!" Koudou roared, suddenly sending his right hands first finger towards Phoenix unprotected left shoulder.

"Tracking Stone!" Phoenix suddenly shouted, and a strange energy fluxated upon its command. In the split second his Shigan was about to hit, Phoenix body suddenly rolled to the right, dodging the attack as she continued moving down, before hitting Koudou squared in the chest with her Keyblade. Koudou cried out at the impact, and was sent flying backwards in pain.

Phoenix slowly levitated down to the ground, and took a deep breath in. Those two abilities had taken a significant amount of her energy. She needed to regain and conserve some if this fight continued. Hopefully though that last attack busted the guys ribs, and he won't get u-

"Godamn that hurts!" Phoenix gasped at Koudou's cry. She watched as Koudou slowly stood back up, clutching his chest where Phoenix had hit her, his face one of agony and pain.

_I could finish him with one more attack…_Phoenix nodded, and held up her gauntlet hand. Quickly changing the stone inside it with another one, her body once again began to pulsate with energy "Agility Stone!"

A second later, and Phoenix left a dust trail of the path she ran, moving at an insane speed. Koudou didn't seem to realise straight away she was gone, and she wa quickly directly behind him, charging forward with her Keyblade held back, prepared to strike him down with one hit alone.

Phoenix closed in, but despite the urgency tried to keep her speed under some kind of control. The flaw to the agility stone was that abuse could lead to high friction, and combustion. In other words, going too fast could make her clothes catch on fire. Not to mention jumping too hard or accelerating too quickly could tear up the muscles in her legs. She knew of these risks and kept her speed under control, but given the dire situation it took restraint not to go that extra bit faster.

Still, luck seemed on her side for once, because she was quickly right behind Koudou, and with a fighting cry sent her Keyblade swinging up to hit the unsuspecting Koudou directly in the skull.

"Bakudō 81. **Danku."**

Phoenix felt her entire body jerk when her Keyblade suddenly hit a mirror like shield that had suddenly appeared from thin air. Losing her balance, the mirror-like sheild suddenly shattered, seemingly on purpose, and Koudou span around, and kick her directly in the chest. Phoenix cried out and flew backwards, almost mirroring what Koudou had just been through.

As Phoenic laid on the floor, the dizziness slowly left her-unfortunately the pain didn't-and as her senses slowly came back, a flash of recognition came over her.

"That was Kido!" Phoenix gasped, sitting up to look at Koudou, shocked by this newfound knowledge "you're a…a…Shinigami!"

"That's right missy!" Koudou chuckled loudly "Death god, warrior of the dead, who once fought against the montrous Hollows! So, finally decided to give up?"

"No."

"…Ffffuuuuuck" Koudou shoulders slumped, and he looked at Phoenix hopelessly "why can't you see fighting the World Government is hopeless?"

"Why are YOU even working for them? You're a Shinigami! You should be off fighting Hollows!" Phoenix retorted.

"I realised a long time ago that the true monster I needed to fight against were not Hollows…" Koudou closed his eyes briefly, before opening them with a newfound seriousness, his sword lifted into the air "…and that monster is mankinds sin."

Phoenix gasped as Koudou suddenly sprang forward and sent his sword swinging down on her, this time with real force behind it. Phoenix managed to block with her keyblade, but his strength once again proved to be hard to handle for her "when you think about it, Hollows stem from the evil inside us, and it is this evil that plagues both our worlds. I joined the World Government to make the world a much happier place for the innocents."

"Are you even listening to what you're saying?" Phoenix shouted back "Nukid told me the things the World Government does…Slavery…genocide, how can you work for such people and still say that?"

"Those are…necessary sacrifices" Koudou replied slowly. hoenix noted how hard that hit him, realising she'd hit a soft spot.

"No they aren't! The ends don't justify the means!"

Koudou suddenly looked at Phoenix with a face masked in fury, and before she could react, Koudou punched her in face with a suddenly free left arm. Phoenix fell to the ground, her lip cut open from the strong punch.

"Oh yea…it's so easy to say that, isn't it?" Koudou said with a frightening tone "…well let me ask you, oh so good Author Fighter: If, stranded on an island with one of your friends alongside a psychopath whose sole desire is to rape your loved ones and then kill them, would you not kill them before they ever attempt to commit the acts you know they will inevitably do?"

"W-well I…" Phoenix slowly said, standing up as she rubbed her bruised mouth, but Koudou continued.

"I've lived for over a century, and I've watched humans fight and kill each other for all those years. All it has done has shown that the only justice that works is the absolute one!" Koudou spat "you say the ends don't justify the means? I say you're a fucking hypocrite!"

Phoenix looked at this new Koudou, no longer the kind, funny, charismatic swordsman who had tried to spare her, but now a man who believed so strongly in his beliefs he would harm her. Koudou's playful features were now gone with those of a determined man, almost scary in appearance. It was no wonder this man was the supposed 2nd strongest of his group.

"You may have a point…" Phoenix whispered, taking a deep breath "…but there is no justice in taking peoples freedom, nor is there in taking innocent lives. I don't know what happened to you, but your views on justice have been horribly warped. I won't run away, I'll fight and protect my friends!"

Koudou looked at her silently for a moment, before giving a defeated sigh "as you wish". Koudou lifted his sword-which Phoenix knew now was a Zanpakuto-into the air, the blade pointing towards the sky.

"Expand and dominate…**Saruumari!**"

Phoenix eyes widened when Koudou's Zanpakuto slowly began to dissolve from the tip of the blade, the remnants spinning around in the air like a tornado, till eventually the whole sword was reduced to an orb shaped tornado. Those remnants themselves turned quickly into a light blue shaped orb which levitated above his right hand.

With a flick of his hand, the light blue orb suddenly grew in size, encasing both Koudou and Phoenix inside, though neither felt anything. The orb grew and grew inside, before it was well above 500 feet in length and in height.

It was quite literally a giant dome.

"You're not the only one who can control gravity," Koudou said with a small smile. He lifted his left hand, and flicked his first finger towards himself.

Phoenix gasped when she suddenly appeared directly besides Koudou…

Before she could react, Phoenix was sent flying backwards fro a sharp kick to the chest. She could barely cry when she was sent flying back. She tried to brace herself for when she hit the ground.

But then, Koudou flicked his finger again, and Phoenix teleported back to him, this time he grabbed her by the throat and threw her to the ground.

"But…how…" Phoenix choked from Koudou's grip.

"My Zanpakuto power is to create a giant dome around myself, in which I control all movement of my opponent and the surrounding" Koudou explained. He emphasised this by flicking his open hands first finger, and the ground besides Phoenix face suddenly blew apart as one giant stone flew from out the ground.

Koudou smiled "you could say my Zanpakuto represents the only justice that works…the one that controls everything."

* * *

**Wow…I didn't think this chapter would be so long ^^'. This might actually be my best so far. Hope people enjoyed, and please all give me your opinions on the various fights. Say what you liked, what was wrong with it, which was your favourite, whatever. Stay tuned!**


	24. Author Fighters Vs The FREAK Unit Part 4

…Six months…six bloody months to get this thing up. (sigh) I fail at life. Enjoy!

* * *

Ross and X Prodigy wasted little time after X recovery to leave Castle Doran and head out to find their comrades. The two ran down one quiet street in L.A….in fact Ross couldn't help but notice much of the city was quiet. At first it spooked him, and as their chase went on it bothered him more and more. What was causing such fear and chaos across the city?

But when Ross saw the various news reports whilst passing an electronic shop with an airing TV, it became painfully obvious. Loud howling noises in a park, sounds of battle outside the park, strange figure fighting in the streets, an entire buildings worth of workers held hostage…some killed, and worst of all, an entire streets worth of people massacred, only their clothes remaining.

Ross had little doubt his friends were involved.

"This is bad…" Ross whispered "…the entire town's gone crazy. We all knew the possibility of ambushes, but I never thought it'd escalate to this height. What do you think X?…X?"

The Pokemorph turned to his fellow author, only to find the Hollow lost in thought. While he had recovered from his sudden collapse, X rarely said anything, and even when running he seemed to be deep in thought. Nothing of the status of his friends or the city seemed to pass through his ears.

And strangely of all, Ross was sure he'd heard him whisper 'Xenethis' and 'that woman' once or twice.

"Oi, X!" Ross almost shouted, shaking the Hollow by the shoulders. X instantly snapped out of his deep thought and looked straight at the Pokemorph "hmm? What is it?"

"What's up with you, X? Falling unconscious was bad enough, but now you're zoning out every second" Ross complained "did…did you see something while you were knocked out?"

"N…no, it's fine Ross" X lied. He walked past Ross and down the street quickly "just forget about it. We haven't got time to worry about me. Worry about Nukid and everyone else who left the base."

"Actually author, you really should worry about yourself."

X only looked up for a second before two gleaming blades can crashing down near his head. X managed to dodge by jumping back at the last second, landing besides Ross. The two authors looked forward to see their attackers.

What they saw were two girls, both wielding Claymores. Both were almost identical in appearance, X suspected they were twins, with the same blonde hair and almost exactly same black CP9 suits. The only way to tell the difference between them was that one of them had blue eyes, the other had brown.

"Eeeeh? We missed sister" the girl with the blue eyes complained loudly. The other girl was still kneeling down with her sword lodged in the ground. With a lift up, the sword freed itself, and she stood up and faced them with the two authors with a grin.

"Not bad X Prodigy, dodging our attack like that" the brown eyed girl complimented "though a second later and you'd be called Triple X Prodigy."

X growled with annoyance at the two girls, but he decided he'd keep his cool and play the arrogant joker. Him and Nukid excelled at this "well look here Ross. When I dream of women falling from the sky, I don't imagine them wielding swords…or with such small tits."

"What was that!" the blue-eyed girl snarled. She was about to pounce forward, but her near identical twin held out an arm to stop her.

"Calm down sister. He's just trying to upset you" the brown-eyed girl said softly. She turned back to X and Ross "allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Risa, and my rather boisterous sister over here is called Misa."

X snorted, "Your parents had such great imagination."

"OH THAT IS IT!" Misa screamed. She almost pounced forward, but her sister Risa grabbed by the shoulder "calm yourself sweet sister. Don't let him provoke you."

"Oi, mind spitting out what you want already? Sorry to be a rush, but a complete retarded asshole I happen to call a best friend has gotten himself in deep shit." X grumbled.

"You should worry more about yourself. We are both special operatives in the CP9, a branch known as the FREAK Unit. We were handpicked by Oldkid himself to deal with you two."

"If Oldkid only sent you two to kill us, then he really more mad than smart." Ross threatened, stepping forward.

"We were told to only kill you, Pokemorph!" Misa said with a hoarse laugh "your masked friend was to be captured and brought back to Oldkid."

"What?" X snarled behind his mask "why would Oldkid order that? Answer me!"

Risa shrugged "it's not our place to question his order. Whatever his reason, we won't hesitate to carry out his order."

Ross glanced to his right when he saw X step forward, raising his sword over his head "stand back Ross. I've got this one."

"Like hell I will" Ross retorted sternly, stepping besides X. X turned his head and growled "don't think I can handle this by myself?"

"I'm sure you can, but we need to hurry up and find our friends" Ross grinned "besides, the last time you said 'I've got this one', you ended up getting sued for sexual harassment."

"Okay, that Turkish woman came onto ME! It was self defence, I swear!"

* * *

Mala Makra descended off the rooftops onto the corpse filled street. The silence in the air was almost toxic itself, but the fumes that had reduced dozens of people to mere dust were slowly fading away. Like it mattered to Mala. Ever since Akuma cells were placed into him during the Third Exorcist experiment, the poisonous fumes of the Akuma never affected him.

"My my, so many died today" Mala chuckled heartedly, kicking one corpse as he passed by "do you think it's right that this many people had to die for your life? Do you think I am a monster for casually taking these peoples lives just to end yours? Maybe once I would've agreed with you. But when you've seen what I've seen, you realise something."

Mala walked across the graveyard of a street, carefully analysing every bit of clothe his eyes gazed upon. Finally, in the distance, he saw the jacket DW64 wore. Smiling, he continued to walk forward.

"I realise…when I was forced to become a Third Exorcist, that the value of an individual is decided by those in power. When I, a frail coward, was given the chance to work for the FREAK Unit, my own personal soared up from that of an expendable lab rat!" Mala explained, speaking with pride and all lack of empathy and sorrow for his atrocities.

"So, when you Author Fighters went up against the World Government, it was because you were deemed a hindrance to us. And when I was given the order to kill you, I deemed these people expendable. It doesn't matter who you are Author…"

Mala looked down, by now standing above the jacket of the seemingly dead DW64. With a satisfied grunt, Mala Makra spat on his jacket and chuckled.

"…there'll always be someone higher than you, who decides how much you're worth in this world…and I, DW64, decided that you were worthle-"

It took Mala a few seconds to realise the figure standing behind him, holding a sword in the air.

Instinctively, Mala span around and jumped back, but DW64 was quick, grabbing his right arm and swinging down with his left. In one swing, his Katana completely sliced off his arm, and Mala Makra gave out a cry of agony that echoed down the misty street.

"AAAAAH!" Mala Makra screamed, falling to the ground while clutching his stump of an arm. He looked up at DW64, covered in bruises and panting heavily, and stared venomously at the Author "YOU SON OF A BITCH! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!"

"Shut up!" DW roared back, flaring up with anger "how dare you do this to all these innocent people! You rattle on about how you're worth more, but that doesn't excuse anything you've done!"

"Weren't you listening to me!" Mala snarled, swinging his existing arm up, the shape of his arm now that of a cannon. He would've fired DW in the face with one of his toxic Akuma missiles, but DW stopped him before he could…slicing his second arm off, just like his right arm.

"AAAAAAH!" Mala screamed again, falling to the floor again. He screamed and rattled around on the floor, tears of agony rolling from his eyes. "FUCK YOU! YOU WORTHLESS FUCKING AUTHOR, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU BAGS OF SHIT DI-!"

Mala stopped when DW placed the shotgun to his face. His holding was lax; he knew Mala was little threat like this. He stared down at the FREAK Unit with pure disgust. "There's no way you can justify what you've done. You've taken innocent life!"

"F…fucking simpleton…like you'd understand…y-you've n-n-not seen what I've seen…oh god this fucking hurts!" Mala groaned, grimacing more and more at the pain. He slowly pushed his body up to his knees, his breathing get heavier with every movement he made.

"I hate to tell you this punk…but this is war…" Mala growled, his breathing slowing down. "In every war, thousands of soldiers die every day! Their rank determines their worth, and people without rank are expendable! The same is with you Authors and these civilians!"

"But these weren't soldiers! These were just ordinary people!"

"Like I care! The only lives I give a damn about are those with higher ranking than mine!" Mala laughed this time. Sniggering, he pushed himself back to lie down on a large piece of debris.

"Rank, position, power, is everything! Even a coward like me has power, and that's why I won't die!" Mala proclaimed "they'll send reinforcements to save me! I'm an important member of the FREAK Unit! I bet Oldkid is coming himself to save me! I won't die! I won't die! I won't die…"

DW felt the shotgun in his hand rattle. Closing his eyes, he raised it up, aimed directly at the cackling face of Mala Makra. Mala Makra had been reduced to a fit of hysteria, laughing non-stop and repeating the same proclamation over and over.

"I won't die…I won't die…I won't die…" Mala started to whisper. He slowly closed his eyes.

"My life…is no longer worthless."

* * *

_Hundreds of Level 1 Akuma hovered in the sky, whilst several Level 2 & 3 Akuma searched the destroyed town near Edo, Japan. The town had been the battleground for the Millennium Earls Akuma and the new Third Exorcists. The Third Exorcists was the new project by the Black Order, warriors who had Akuma eggs imbedded into them, making them super soldiers, capable of absorbing Akuma and gaining their powers._

_This however, did not stop the near dozen Thirds being completely massacred by the Earls forces._

_Hidden inside a deserted house, a slightly younger Mala Makra frantically tried to get a radio to work. His body was covered with cuts and bruises, his breathing was heavy and he seemed on the verge of a breakdown. "HQ! This is Third Exorcist Mala Makra! Please, send reinforcements to my area! I'm all alone out here!"_

**"Received Third Exorcist Mala Makra."** _Replied the voice on the radio _**"unfortunately, we have no one to spare to go out and rescue you."**

"What? But there were five new Thirds created before I left! Surely they've not been sent out yet!"

"**The Order has decided they're too valuable to waste right now. We're sorry, but you'll just have to deal with the situation yourself. This is HQ, signing out."** _Mala heard static, and the radio noises fazed out._

_Mala could only stare into nothingness, his whole world turned upside down. He could feel his hands shaking, feeling on the verge of breaking down. They hadn't said it directly, but they had told he was not worth saving, that helping him would've been a waste of their resources._

_That he, was worthless._

"_Well now, isn't that a kick to the balls!"_

_Mala span around, changing his arm to a cannon and aiming at the doorway, thinking an Akuma had found him. However, whom he saw was not an Akuma, but a tall, muscular man with long blonde hair, black eyes with yellow pupils, and an unmovable smile._

"_W-who are you? Are you an Akuma?"_

"_Naaah, though I have met the Earl himself. Jolly fellow, we went golfing once." Oldkid rambled. Mala pushed himself backwards, his arm still raised._

"_So you're with the Earl? Then in the name of the Lord, and the Holy Black Order, I will-"_

"_You're telling me kid, you'd fight for the side, for the god, that has just abandoned you?" Oldkid asked sceptically, picking his left ear lazily "pfft, why don't you just kill yourself? I recommend jumping into a bath filled with acid, dressed like a chicken, singing the YMCA song."_

"_Why…would I want to die in such a painful and humiliating way?"_

"_Because I would find it hi-larious."_

"_Well I wouldn't!" Mala screamed back. Panting, he backed away from Oldkid, still keeping his cannon arm raised "but I won't die. This was a mistake. They'll come to save me, they won't leave a comrade behind!"_

"_Sorry kid, but you won't be getting the Saving Private Ryan treatment." Oldkid chuckled, stepping closer "there's no Tom Hanks coming to save you."_

"_I don't know what the hell you're talking about!"_

"_Sorry, I'm trying out this whole fourth wall breaking thing." Oldkid sighed, rubbing the back of his neck "point is though, you're not gonna be saved. There is no one coming for you."_

"_SHUT UP!" Mala screamed back. In a fit of rage, Mala fired several blasts of Akuma shells directly forward, his arm swinging left and right from the force of the blast, and his own lack of control. He seemed to forget he was currently trying to hide from Akuma, and cared only about killing Oldkid for his remarks._

_The toxic dust of the Akuma shells slowly faded, and Mala expected to see nothing but a pile of human dust, the remains of someone who inhaled the toxic fumes. However, he saw nothing, not even the slightest trail of the mysterious man._

_That was, until he felt his hands wrap around his throat._

_Mala was lifted off the ground, gargling as Oldkid gripped his neck. Oldkid stood directly behind Mala, holding him with both hands as he lifted him. In the split second before Mala fired, Oldkid had dodged and unbeknownst to Mala, stalked up behind him. A level of speed Mala did not know was possible_

"_However…" Oldkid said slowly "…I'm here with a once in a lifetime offer. Once being that if you refuse, you're fucked!"_

"_Wha…what…"_

"_The offer is simple. You leave the Black Order, you leave this world in fact, and you join my little group I'm setting up" Oldkid proposed "you'll be trained in Rokushiki martial arts style, making you stronger than you already were! And of course…"_

_Mala gasped for breath when Oldkid released his grip of him. He fell to the floor, holding his bruised neck while panted heavily over and over. Oldkid knelt down on one knee, placing one hand on his shoulder._

"…_you'll have a rank within the World Government, the most powerful force imaginable. With that status, you'll never be considered expendable, you'll never be left alone in danger" Oldkid leaned in closer, whispering into his ear._

"_You'll never be worthless."_

* * *

_**I'm a coward…**_

"I won't die…I'm not worthless…save me Oldkid! SOMEBODY PLEASE SAVE ME!" Mala cried out, hoping his screams would reach someone on his side. Nobody came.

_**I've never hidden that fact. Being a coward only means that you care deeply about your life…**_

"There's no forgiving what you've done, Mala Makra" DW said sternly, his first finger touching the trigger rigidly. By now tears were rushing down Mala Makra's face, he was no longer laughing, but sobbing profusely. He was frightened, still babbling to himself, but by now he was speaking so quietly DW couldn't hear him.

_**I never chose to have the Akuma cells placed in me. I never chose to fight The Millennium Earl. Nobody gave a damn about me or what I wanted!**_

"I don't…"

_**So what if I killed all those people? Status and power made me more significant! That's the right of the powerful! With power, my life isn't worthless!**_

"I don't wanna…"

_**I joined the FREAK Unit because…because…**_

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

BANG

* * *

_Clank, clank, clank_

The sound of metal hitting the floor repeatedly radiated across the deserted mountain range. A lone figure stepped through the mountainous range that had been ravaged by the dozens of Alchemy transmutation this very man had conjured. He leisurely paced towards a huge pile of boulders, having been created from the destruction of one small hill, causing its remnants to fall to the ground.

And seemingly crush Snake Screamer.

"30 minutes. It took me 30 minutes to finally get you Mr. Snake Screamer. You exceeded my expectations by 10 minutes" the figure stated with a hint of respect in his voice, but the mock in his voice was far more prevalent.

As he reached the boulders, his appearance finally became clear. He was a skinny youth of twenty years, with short blonde hair and narrow, angular facial features. He sported a brown jacket and black cargo pants, and on his face was a small pair of glasses, which he frequently tapped up to his face with one of his hands.

Automail hands.

"Of course, a scientist has to make room for such unpredictability, but I applaud you nonetheless" the Alchemist clapped his hands "if anything, it'll be fun to figure out exactly how you lasted so long. Or more accurately…what aspects of a snake that you've acquired allowed you to survive."

The Alchemist stood to large pile of rubble, and with a light clap of his hands, he pressed his left metal arm onto the rubble. Electrical currents surrounded the rubble, and suddenly the earth began to dissolve into sand, tunnelling through the pile to reach its core.

"I do hope you aren't dead, Mr. Snake Screamer. I admit I can be a little rough, but I was never trying to kill you…more like permanently paralyse you" the blonde haired Alchemist grinned greedily "frankly, a living specimen is far more useful than a corpse."

It was at that moment that the ground behind the Alchemist blew open, and Snake Screamer came jumping out, both his hands holding his staff with was behind his back, ready to swing and smash the Alchemist head open. By the time he was out of the small hole he had burrowed and hid in, he had already swung it at the seemingly unaware Alchemist.

The staff hit thin air.

The Alchemist had bended down with incredibly quick reflexes, dodging the staff, whilst his hands had quickly clapped together and smashed the ground. The ground below the two coursed with electrical currents, and it suddenly transformed in a flash to a long stump, hitting Snake Screamer in his gut. Snake Screamer was caught by surprise, and when he was hit he made a coughing groan, saliva spitting from his mouth as the air left him. His legs were lifted off the ground by the stump, and when he was in air the earth moved around his body, trapping him by the waist, his arms trapped inside too.

"An attack from behind? How…simplistic!" the Alchemist said with loud disappointment. He sighed and shook his head "honestly, I was expecting better. Something like that was something an idiot like Mala Makra would fall for. But not me, no sir. I'm just too awesome."

"Shut up…you talk too much." Screamer hissed between pants. He was slowly regaining his breath back "just who the hell…are you?"

"Ah, forgive me. I have yet to give you my name" The Alchemist said, moving forward towards the trapped Snake Screamer "my name is Mark Von Wahnsinniger…but you can just call me Mark. As you may have guessed, I'm an Alchemist, from the wondrous country of Amestris!"

"I bloody know that!" Screamer snarled, "Why are you attacking me, that's what I wanna know!"

"Well, I work for a special group within the CP9, known as the "FREAK Unit". Officially I'm here to dispose of you Author Fighters" Mark grinned that slimy grin once more "but I don't think they'll be bothered if I instead turn you into my latest guinea pig."

"W…why?" Screamer whispered, "you're an Alchemist, you're not of their world! Why do you work for them?"

"Ah, that is a tragic tale of woes. But…I was saved, and in return for my loyalty, I was given the freedom to experiment how I wished, and skills unachievable back at home!" Mark chuckled, lifting his hands "now, I'm not as good at the Rokushiki's as my allies, but I've trained myself enough so that I can transmutate quicker than the eye can see. Allow me to show you."

Screamer was surprised when he saw Wahnsinniger touch the floor, and allowed the rock he was trapped in to crumble into sand, dropping the author. Snake Screamer slammed onto the floor, his staff falling next to him. On is knees, he looked up to see Mark Von Wahnsinniger a few steps away, waiting with his metal arms crossed.

"Well? I'm waiting Author Fighter. Come on, attack me" Mark urged mockingly "take up your staff and strike me down. Surely you can get me fast from this distance, or did I overestimate you instead?"

Screamer growled, anger boiling up. He knew this was a trap, but right then he didn't care. He wanted to bash this arrogant bastards skull in. Without hesitation he grabbed his staff, jumped up and swung it at the Alchemists skull.

And less than a second later, he was being thrown into the air.

Screamer landed hard, and his body felt strain whenever it tried to move. So much he couldn't help but wish he could lie there for a while. But this was obviously not safe, so painfully he reached for his fallen staff once more, and used it to pull himself slowly onto the ground, Mark Von Wihnsinniger waiting patiently. Screamer looked at the ground where he had once stood, and saw that the ground had turned to a giant fist. _But…how? _Screamer thought hopelessly _that wasn't there a second ago!_

"Shocked are we? No surprise. Allow me to explain something to you Screamer. What is an Alchemists biggest weakness?" Mark asked "of course, it is when he's about to create a transmutation. Even if they don't need to draw a transmutation circle, the short time it takes to create the flow within your body, spread into an object, and change it to your liking can be enough for someone to kill you there and there."

Licking his lips, Mark laughed as he raised his hands to his chest "but you see Snake Screamer, thanks to the superhuman training CP9 agents are given, I can react with superhuman speed, and those few seconds are cut down to a hundredth! I can transmutate within the blink of an eye! And with my strive to do whatever it takes for knowledge, I am one thing and one thing only."

With a sick smile, Mark Von Wahnsinniger clapped his metal hands together.

"I…am a flawless Alchemist."

* * *

Dawn's eyes flittered open, groggily because of the sun between the branches that radiated on her eyes. It also didn't help her head was still aching from a hit she could couldn't quite recall the origin of the injury. She lifted her hand to her aching head, and felt where I hurt most. She could feel it swelled and throbbing as she touched it. Slowly standing up, the area around her became clearer to her groggy eyes, and soon she could see that she was in the middle of a forest, that was clear.

What wasn't clear was whether she was still in the park she and Jiro had entered. The sunlight made her think that not much time had passed before being knocked out, and that she was still at the park she'd came in. As her head cleared, she noticed something in the corner of her eyes. Turning, she gasped when she saw her tiny pet dog Wolzar, lying unconscious on the ground.

"Wolzar!" Dawn quickly ran and bent over to pick him up. As soon as she picked him up, Wolzar began to wake up and made a small groan. Dawn examined him quickly. He seemed hurt like her, but it was nothing too serious. As soon as she placed him back on the ground, he could walk without much difficulty. Dawn breathed a sigh of relief, but she suddenly began to feel chills of fear. If that Pawn guy had knocked her out, what about Jiro?

"Guess there's no point staying here. Come on Wolzar." Dawn said, and she began walking through the forest, Wolzar following behind. The two walked for a few minutes in blissful silence, Dawn always on edge and ready to react if someone…or something ran out and attacked her. But all she could hear was the wind rustling against the trees, the sounds of nearby insects, and the padding of their footsteps. Sounds not uncommon in such a place.

That was until she heard the sounds of a mans wild growl and groan…one she knew all too well.

"Jiro!" Dawn cried out, and without hesitation she sprinted off towards the sounds, Wolzar running beside her. It took the author but a dozen seconds before she found Jiro…and his attacker.

Jiro was on his knees, in his Wolf form, panting heavily and bruised head to toe. Groaning, he lifted his head towards Dawn, and though it was hard to tell in his current form, Dawn knew he was looking at her with worry "Dawn!…Get…out of here now!"

Dawn slowly turned to the assailant, and felt a shiver down her spine. She knew who it was, the CP9 agent Pawn. And she knew what he was-he'd told her himself-but seeing his Fangire form still made her feel fear. Pawn stood near Jiro in a much bigger build than before, his total body changed to almost look like knights armour. His skin was completely black, and his face was eerily shaped like that of a Hound. The only parts of his huge body were his huge, snarling white teeth, and his piercing red eyes. When he looked over at Dawn, he made a cackling noise, clearly laughing though it was hard to tell by expression.

"Perfect timing Werewolf! I'd just finished giving your boyfriend an asskicking he'll never forget!" Pawn laughed. His voice was the same, but it was also different, like it was echoing inside his own body. "Must say, it's no wonder that Rook killed most of your race. If he's anything to go by, they were all weaklings!"

"Jiro!" Dawn rushed over to the Wolfen, ignoring the mocking of Pawn. She bent down and held Jiro steady as he tried to stand up. He got one knee of the floor, but it was too much for him, and he fell to the ground. Slowly, his wolfen form began to dissolve, and he returned to his normal form. Dawn trembled when he saw his body, the wounds he'd received looked far worse in his normal form "Jiro…"

"Dawn…" Jiro whispered, coughing violently afterwards. Dawn lifted his upper body up for him to lean on her "…Dawn…please…please…"

"Yes?" Dawn asked worryingly, scared to hear what he had to say, almost afraid he was saying his final words. Jiro looked at her solemnly at first, but then gave her a grin.

"Don't…tell Nukes I got my ass kicked…he'll never let this down."

Dawns slammed Jiro's head into the ground.

"OW!" Jiro screamed, much louder than before. He leaned up with a newfound energy and stared angrily at her "What did you do that for?"

"You idiot! Can't you take anything seriously?" Dawn growled furiously.

"You heartless…" Jiro was cut off when Dawn grabbed him by the scruffs of his collar.

"I thought you were near death!" Dawn retorted "so what if Nukes found out? He wouldn't mock you. He'd be happy you tried to protect me!"

"…Are we talking about the same Nukid here?"

"Ugh!" Dawn threw him back down to the floor with a thump. Sighing, she stepped back up and calmly faced Pawn "you're hopeless, you know that? Looks like I've gotta take care of this Fangire!"

"No Dawn!" Jiro yelled, lifting his arm towards her "it's too dangerous! Take Wolzar and ru-"

Neither Dawn nor Jiro saw Pawn move, but in a split second he was beside the two, and with his bulky leg raised he suddenly stomped Jiro straight in the gut. Jiro almost screamed in agony, and Dawn barely reacted in time and blocked the almost clumsy sweep of Pawn's arm as she sent her falling back.

"Stupid dog, don't go telling my prey to leave!" Pawn snarled in his raspy voice "oh, that reminds me." Pawn took his foot off the fallen Jiro, and raised his right arm. Dawn hadn't noticed it up till then, but she was surprised when she saw that Pawn had seemingly a watch on his wrist.

"All right Werewolf, let's play a game. It took me just under five minutes to beat your boyfriend here. Let's see if I can beat you in three minutes! If I win, I get to eat you both" Pawn licked his lips "if I can't beat you in three, then I must punish myself! Understood?"

"Wait, wha-"

"Time to play!" Pawn declared, pressing a button on his watch that made it go _beep_. And but a split second later, Pawn jumped from his spot and charged at Dawn like a mad dog.

Dawn was shocked by the sudden charge, but she managed to roll to his side and miss the Fangires charge. Pawn slowed himself down to a halt, but he seemingly couldn't stop himself from hitting a nearby tree, causing it to fall to the ground. Dawn kept close to the ground, ready to lunge away again. However, a large part of her was still taken back by the Fangires strange idea of treating a battle like a game.

It was not so much the oddity of it. It was the fact it was just like one other, very famous Fangire.

"Dawn…" Jiro wheezed, trying hard to lift his head and look at her directly "stay…out of his…si…si…"

"What?" Dawn asked, but before she could an answer, Pawn was charging at her again. Dawn hesitantly rolled under his giant left arm and stood back behind the Fangire. However, Pawn had yet to turn around. He swayed his body back and forth, seemingly having to turn his whole body just to look left and right, before spinning his body around to face her.

It was then Dawn understood what Jiro meant.

With a squealing howl, Pawn charged forward again like a berserker. Dawn was far more prepared this time, and the author hopped to the side of the incoming fangire, and hopped back in just behind him. She ran up and sent her left foot straight into the back of the Fangires left knee. Pawn groaned and cursed, his leg being forced to its knee. When he got it back onto its foot, Pawn swung around with a swipe of his hand, but Dawn was ready, and when he spun she followed him around, still facing behind him. Dawn wasted no time hitting the Fangire straight in the leg again, causing him to falter once more.

_His bulky body makes it harder for him to twist his limbs, so he has to turn most of his body to see something behind him _Dawn mused. _If I stay out of his sight, he's near powerless. That was Jiro was trying to tell me. It works better for me though; I'm smaller and faster than Jiro._

Dawn carefully kept going with the strategy, keeping out of the Fangires sight and striking him where he was most vulnerable. After a few minutes, Pawn was almost on his hands and knees, huffing and puffing and seemed to be aching all over. Dawn took this as an adequate time to finish him off. She pounced forward, and whilst in mid air, she readied her legs for a swinging kick directly across the Fangire's Hound-like head.

But then, Pawn span around with a sudden speed he had yet shown.

Dawn in an instant found her back smashed against a tree, a strong black hand choking her throat. Pawn looked at her which she was certain was one of pure rage. His free hand was raised into the air "DIE WOLF-BITCH!" Pawn swung forward.

Beep-Beep.

Pawn's hand stopped only a few inches from Dawns horrified face. When the beeping continued, Pawn slowly released both his hands, and stepped silently away from Dawn. Dawns back slid down the tree, her entire body still in shock from that sudden outburst of power by Pawn.

"I couldn't beat you in three minutes. I underestimated you. I won't do that next time" Pawn then sighed, and shrugged "still, gotta punish myself."

Dawn looked up and saw with blank eyes whilst Pawn reverted back to his human appearance. With a sullen and almost sad face, the now human form Pawn reached behind his belt, and took out a small knife. He held up his free left arm, and held the knife to his bare wrist.

He proceeded to cut his own wrist.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Dawn gasped. Pawn made a small groan from the pain, but then looked at Dawn and growled.

"I'm punishing myself, woman. If I win a game I reward myself, and if I lose a game I punish myself" Pawn stated. With one last groan, Pawn let the knife slip out of his hands, leaving his wrist bloody "yea, it's stupid I know, but I've got to play by his rule, or else I'll never surpass him."

Dawn saw that the cut Pawn had made slowly healed itself within seconds. He held up the arm with the watch on, and Dawn heard the watch go _beep_. Any trace of discomfort left Pawns face, and he grinned evilly at Dawn "2nd round. This time I'll give myself ten minutes to kick your sorry ass."

"Why…why are you so fixated on this…" Dawn whispered, slowly getting to her feet. That sudden lashing out of madness by Pawn still staggered her. She was barely standing up "and…those games…it's just like…"

Before turning to his Fangire form again, Pawn said "seems you've met Rook, the legendary Fangire. Well, most people will forget about him, because I will become the new Fangire legend, the new Rook!"

* * *

**Well, hope it was worth the horribly long wait. Stay tuned for next chapter…in the next six months -_-.**


	25. Author Fighters Vs The FREAK Unit Part 5

Hey everyone. Another late chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Nukid left the Vongola mansion in a foul mood.

He tried to rub his face and clear his thoughts, but right then he was stuck in a flurry of emotions. Anger, shame, guilt, but oddest of all, fear. Only moments ago he had been confronted by the Varia leader and adopted son of Vongola IX, Xanxus. Xanxus was famous for his lack of respect for…well, everyone, so Nukid had done his best to ignore the spoiled punk and leave the mansion.

And yet, he'd allowed Xanxus to provoke him, and once again he'd allowed his anger get the better of him. Ever since that day when he lost Maria, Nukid would sometimes lose his cool and go berserk on someone, losing all sense of self-control and restraint. Buildings would be destroyed, people were badly injured, it was small wonder Oldkid was his Darkside.

Except, of course, for actually killing the person. No, Nukid realised now he had become too much of a coward to kill someone now.

Sighing, Nukid kept his pace as walked away from the mansion. He tried his best to think to his friends, but in the end that made him feel even worse. They were all suffering the Worlds Government wrath because of him, and now they were all probably worried because of his disappearance. All he ever caused them was grief.

_So on top of being a traitor and a coward, I'm also a terrible friend. _Nukid thought grimly. _I always act so cocky…but in the end I'm the worst thing to ever happen to the Author Fighters._

"Leaving so soon Nukid? We've not had a chance to talk."

Nukid almost tripped at the sudden voice behind him. Partly from surprise, mostly because of who the voice belonged to. Nukid span around, and gasped when he saw him. Standing firmly without a hint of age decaying his firm pose, Timoteo, the 9th leader of the Vongola family stood staring with a warm smile.

_Old man…_Nukid stared speechless at the Vongola leader. It wasn't because he had went out to greet him that he was surprised, it was because he showed no hint of anger or sadness from him _Even though the last time we met…I knocked you out and helped your treacherous son stage a second coup d'etat. _

"It's been a while Nukid. I must say you look…" Vongola IX chuckled "well, you look better than you did when the Varia brought you here."

It was too much for Nukid to handle. He turned away and said "Old man…why are you being so friendly?…B..Because of me, you got used by that bastard son of yours and…dammit, have you forgotten how I betrayed you?"

"I haven't. Frankly something like that is not hard to forget." Timoteo nodded "truth be told, I was angry at first…angry and disappointed. But when the Varia was arrested for their crimes, they told me how they had blackmailed you to do it with information on that woman of yours. After that…well, I honestly couldn't feel angry at you anymore."

"The…Varia told you that?" Nukid repeated sceptically. That didn't sound like them at all. The Varia Nukid knew was more likely to say the whole rebellion was Nukid's plan all along.

"Oh yes. They may not like you Nukid, but they do respect you. More importantly though, you are a Vongola. You are a comrade" Timoteo smiled brightly "which, brings us to the subject of us helping you Author Fighters."

"I'll close that subject with two words. No thanks. I appreciate the help, but you're walking into a hopeless battle." Nukid said sternly.

"My young successor recently participated in a seemingly hopeless battle" Timoteo stated "and like always, he exceeded mine and everyone's expectation. That boy is proof that there's no such thing as the impossible."

Nukid arched his eyebrows at that. Was he really talking about Tsuna? That whiny, cowardly little kid? Nukid was having a hard time swallowing that.

"This is different" Nukid finally replied, sighing, "we aren't fighting some evil little organisation…we're fighting an entire regime. They have foot soldiers and weapons enough to equal any other, and that's only the tip of the iceberg of what they have to offer."

"I have been doing research on them" Vongola IX coughed, before seemingly reciting off memory "the Admirals, the CP9, the Shichibukai and now these Pacifistas. Each one of them is an army in themselves."

"You know this, and yet still wish to fight?"

"Naturally."

Nukid slapped his face in annoyance. There was no getting to this old fart "stop this pointless bravado old man! Even with the Vongola, we can't win. They are too strong for us to handle. This fight is pointless!"

"…Then why are you still fighting?"

Nukid nearly jumped on the spot from that remark. He remembered Squalo asking the exact same question. Just like then, he felt taken back by the comment "what?"

"You speak of how hopeless it is to fight the World Government, but I've yet to see you give up yourself. Tell me, who are you hoping to convince with this fake cynicism?" Timoteo asked. Nukid felt a flush of irritation go through him, but he quickly did his best to keep calm and answer.

"I can't just abandon them. I got them into this mess, I'll stick with them through this" Nukid chuckled softly "and if the inevitable happens and that leads to all our deaths, then I guess there's nothing that can be done."

Just then, Timoteo slapped Nukid across the face.

It wasn't the pain that made Nukid stand still, but the shock of the sudden violence from this seemingly gentle old man. It was often easy to forget what profession this man was in. Slowly turning his face back to Vongola IX, his left cheek bright red, Nukid stared at him with a surprised glare "huh?"

"There was once a story about a young boy, who joined a league of assassins…and he killed under their name because he believed in bringing justice to the world. He was determined to survive every mission, and his skills became so renown he was hailed as the 'Next Rob Lucci'" Vongola IX said with a gruff kind of venom Nukid had never heard from him before. It almost scared him.

"But now…look at him" Timoteo snarled, "That same boy has become a whiny, suicidal brat who gives up without even trying. How could such a child fall so low?"

"Don't lecture me, old man."

"Seeing you like this, your recent failings are starting to make sense. No wonder you were unable to save your friend Jack."

In a split second, Nukid had his hands wrapped around Timoteo's throat.

* * *

Alice Janson entered the next room slowly, her eyes peering to her left and right twice before entering, her face a mask of dull interest. She took two paces into a room that seemed to be the workplace of general staff, multiple desks and computers separated by small cubicles. Not much to fight in, but Alice knew there were several potential hiding spot in here. This room may be the one she had hidden in.

Other people would start shouting boisterously, try to goad the opponent out of hiding, but Alice was a Contractor, and she knew such a thing would be irrational. Instead, she slowly stalked down the centre of the room, and with her long slender arms, threw over every single cubicle. Tables and computers went flying into the air, Alice left a mess in her path, but Kitten was not to be found hiding amongst it.

A drop of water hit Alice's shoulder.

"Rankyaku!" Alice suddenly shouted, spinning her body to face upwards, her leg swinging with her body. She sent a flying blade straight at the ceiling directly above, and it barely missed Kitten, who quickly jumped off the wall back onto the ground. As she landed, Alice saw that both her hands and feet were covered with ice. She had frozen herself to the wall, most likely planning a sneak attack. It nearly worked too.

"Ice sword!" Kitten almost shouted, wasting no time to move on the offensive. As ice began to form into the shape of a sword, Kitten lunged forward, her sword ready to slice sideways. Predictably, Kitten swung the sword several times at the Contractor, but Alice Janson casually sidestepped every swing. After the fourth swing, Alice suddenly grabbed Kitten by the collar and pulled her up close.

Making eye-to-eye contact, Kitten saw her eyes glow suddenly.

In but an instance, Alice hand expanded and enlarged across Kitten's entire body, and the young author was thrown backwards, slamming harshly against the wall. Kitten groaned and she fell limp to the ground. Exhaustion from the constant running and the injuries she'd sustained had left her fatigued, barely able to move. She sluggishly lifted her head as Alice Janson walked nonchalantly up to her.

"H-how…do you do that?" Kitten croaked weakly. Alice did not answer; she simply grabbed Kitten by the collar and lifted her into the air.

"Tell me, what kind of fool do you think I am to actually tell you what my power is?" Alice asked coldly. She lifted her collar higher, causing Kitten to almost choke on it, her face in agony "as far as I'm concerned, you can die in ignorance."

Alice lifted her free arm, and extended her first finger.

But then, Kitten suddenly fell to the ground, groaning as she did. She slowly looked up, and saw Alice clutching her chest, her face scrunched up in agony. She grasped her head and croaked "d…damn remuneration…I thought I could hold it…in longer…"

A second ago it seemed that Kitten was about to have a hole in her forehead, but now her attacker suddenly bolted out of the room. Kitten slowly lifted her body up, panting heavily to retrieve the air her body desperately needed. Despite the oddity of what just happened, she couldn't complain. Now she had time to regain her strength and come up with a plan.

But what could she do? Against a foe that cannot help thinking only rational thoughts and of her own personal well being.

Kitten took a deep breath and closed her eyes. There had to be some way. Some way of tricking her. If only she knew how she could change her body like that…

Kitten opened her eyes. A thought struck her. Or rather, a very recent memory.

* * *

_After the fourth swing, Alice suddenly grabbed Kitten by the collar and pulled her up close._

_Making eye-to-eye contact, Kitten saw her eyes glow suddenly._

_In but an instance, Alice hand expanded and enlarged across Kitten's entire body, and the young author was thrown backwards, slamming harshly against the wall._

* * *

Most people would shrug that off as simply being morphing powers, but there was something wrong with Alice's powers. If that was true for Alice, she would've had so many more chances to use it, and not at such a limited level she seemed to control.

Slowly but surely, what Kitten was dealing with was starting to make sense, and the cold and emotionless assassin was looking less and less dangerous by the second.

It was rationale of her to not tell Kitten what her power was.

Simply because it was all just an illusion.

* * *

It was nothing short of a bloodbath.

Ranger swung his sword sideways at the Rokushiki/Nanto Seiken user Hayato, but the CP9 agent flipped over the sword, and landed perfectly on its side. Wasting not a second, he swung his right leg forward, and the heel of his shoe only grazed Ranger's cheek thanks to the Twilight warrior's quick dodge.

Ranger had learnt quickly his opponent could cut people with his bare hands and feet.

With a roar, Ranger almost threw his sword upwards, and Hayato was forced to jump off and regain his balance on the ground, grinning as he did. But a second later, Hayato was forced to duck from a massive wing by Ranger, who quickly replied with another swing downwards at Hayato. The FREAK Agent responded to each swing quickly and efficiently, to the point where it seemed not a soul could touch him.

Until one of Rangers cuts grazed his chest.

Hayato looked down at the cut, but it was an expression of bemused surprise rather than horror or anger. He quickly looked back up and went on the offensive, thrusting his arms forward like they were swords at Rangers skull. Now it was Rangers turn to dodge, and his dodging was not nearly as impressive, the young Twilight warrior simply sidestepping each swing at the last second. After 10 seconds, Ranger had three more cuts across his face.

But then, he saw an opening. Or rather, he created one. After the twentieth swing, Ranger quickly grabbed the outstretched arm and tackled the agent shoulder first into his chest. Ranger heard and felt the breath leave is chest as he hit, and when he let go of his arm Hayato was sent flying backwards. Hayato hit the floor with a loud thump, landing on the shoulder of the arm Ranger had held onto.

He felt it leave his arm dislocate, and his entire arm burn with agony.

Hayato growled with pain, but a quick glance upwards made him almost forget about the pain. Ranger was on him like a tiger, his sword held over his head, ready to strike down at Hayato and slice him in half. Hayato quickly made it onto his back, and at the last moment flipped backwards. The sword missed Hayato narrowly, instead creating a large gash in the rocky landscape.

Hayato knew Ranger wouldn't have much trouble dislodging the sword from the ground, but it would take a second, and but a second was all he needed. Hayato jumped off his left foot, his dislodged left arm flapping in the air. Whilst on the move, his body span in a circle, and as he span, his working n was outstretched. The sword sharp arm would've cut through anything surrounding Hayato, but right now it was only aimed at one thing.

Ranger's neck.

"This is it!" Hayato roared, declaring confidently his victory. He used whatever strength he had to swing his arm with the rotation towards Ranger, who was still utterly defenceless.

That was, until Ranger suddenly swung his sword upward, just as Hayato attacked him.

All went still just then. No one moved, no one said anything. Hayato and Ranger stood looking away from each other, panting, almost in their own little worlds, unable to notice what was going on around them. After a minute however, Ranger face scrunched up in pain, and he held his shoulder in pain. Blood drew from a long, but again shallow cut created by Hayato.

Hayato didn't use this as a chance to attack; he was still, except for the small shaking of his entire body. Slowly, breathing heavily, Hayato lifted his head to the beating sun, smiling as he whispered.

"You win."

Blood spewed from Hayato's chest like a fountain of blood, from a huge cut that went straight across his chest.

Hayato dropped to his knees as his blood surrounded the scenery around him. His body slowly collapsed into a pool of his own blood that was growing and growing rapidly.

* * *

_**I was always obsessed with this dream of mine…**_

_In a world different to our own, where the land had been ravaged by nuclear war and reduced to a wasteland, and younger Hayato stood silently amidst hundreds of bloodied corpses. His expression was one of quiet, almost serene contemplation._

_**I was obsessed with finding opponents…**_

_All of the corpses had the signatures attires of bandits, people who used to turmoil of the wastelands as a means to wreak havoc on the innocents and claim dominance over them. To see so many so many of these bandits dead in one place was something nobody would be able to believe._

_Not counting, of course, if the said killer was either a Hokuto Shinken or a Nanto Seiken user._

_Hayato was the latter, and judging by his bloodied hands, this was his doing._

_**But no matter where I went, no one could challenge me, take me to the limit…**_

_**And then, I met him…**_

_"Well now, haven't you had fun!"_

_Hayato looked up to a small cliff, where he saw a tall, tanned man with long messy blonde hair, wearing no shirt, and with black, frightening eyes and an even more frightening grin look down at Hayato._

_Oldkid._

_"Curious lad, did these men attack you, or…did you attack them?" Oldkid chuckled, spreading out his arms "whatever the case, the way you killed them was nothing sort of beautiful! You sir, are an artist."_

_"Who are you?" Hayato snapped_

_"Me? I'm but a humble Darkside known as Oldkid, who has been tasked with creating a little team of experts" Oldkid bowed "and you didn't answer my question, Mr…"_

_"Hayato" Hayato replied. He looked down at the corpses passively "and if you must know, I attacked them. They'd pillaged a nearby village not long ago, and so I followed them."_

_"Ah? So I take it you were avenging those villagers?"_

_"Partly" Hayato smiled slightly "but mostly because I wanted to see if they were strong."_

_Oldkid nodded with approval._

_"Ever since I mastered Nanto Seiken, I've roamed across this land, searching for the strongest fighters alive, so I could take them on!" Hayato proclaimed "they say the feeling of battle, of fighting at near death, is the ultimate experience! I wish to feel that!"_

_Oldkid clapped his hands "bravo! It's great to see such enthusiasm! But…judging by your previously disappointed face, you're having problems there."_

_Hayato nodded with a sigh. He turned right, facing the seemingly never ending wastelands "I've been walking for two years now, but no matter where I go, all I find is weaklings. I wish I could just find someone who could put up a good fight against me!"_

_"Perhaps I can help you there."_

_Hayato gasped slightly at this. He turned to Oldkid with a look of surprise "you…you can find me a strong opponent?"_

_"More than that my friend! I can elevate you to a level of fighting you'd have never hoped to achieve with Nanto Seiken alone. I can surround you with allies with powers you could never imagine. And I swear to you…"_

_Oldkid held out his left hand to Hayato._

_**Looking at that hand, I saw my future, the chance I had always hoped for. And when he confirmed it with his voice, there was no doubt in my mind**_

_"I can find you the strongest opponents you could ever imagine."_

* * *

"Thank you…Oldkid…for…for keeping your promise" Hayato whispered, his voice in near coughing, his body unable to move an inch. Despite that, his eyes looked up at Ranger24, who stood passively over Hayato, and the young CP9 assassin smiled up to him

"And thank you Ranger…you really were…the strongest opponent." Hayato croaked. He closed his eyes, a smile on his face, and said no more.

Ranger stayed silent for a second, before giving a respectful nod, sheathing his sword back, and walking casually away. As he walked, he said only one thing.

"Tell me something I don't know."

* * *

Quill fell back to the ground once more by what looked like a mere push by H.H.. As Quill slowly got back on his feet, his body heaved heavily with panting and shook with fatigue. It was strange, Quill was no stranger to pain during a battle, but if one were to look at him right now, people would think he was making too big of a deal over a few scratches and bruises.

But no, Quill was panting because of the injuries he felt internally. He cringed as he felt his muscles ache in his torso, instinctively grabbing the throbbing body part. Growling, Quill looked up towards the smirking H.H., who without his visor to hide the pale eyes of the Byakugan, looked even more arrogant than before. H.H sighed and lowly walked up to H.H. "what's that, the tenth time you've had your ass hit the floor? Must be bright red by now."

Snarling, Quill jumped back up, ignoring the pain through his rage and swinging his right fist at H.H.. Despite masking his pain though, it made his reasoning lax; such an attack was like childsplay for H.H.. H.H. Quickly ducked under the fist and sent an open palm, coated in blue chakra, directly into his torso once more. Quill cried out in pain, and was quickly flung into the air with such force his body bounced off the floor when he landed.

Lying in pain on the ground, Quill could not find the strength to even get up. H.H. stepped up to his fallen body and looked down upon him, figuratively and literally "aaand that's number 11. Shall we go for 12 or have had enough yet, Author?"

Quill winced and groaned when a large flash of pain coursed through his body. H.H. had grabbed Quill by the collar and had pulled him back to his feet forcefully. He grabbed Quill by the collar and held him up so close Quill could feel his breath hit his cheek.

"Don't hate me for what I've done to you Author" H.H. said, before chuckling "and don't mind me if I get a kick outta hurting you. I'm like that to all my opponents. Blame my family for my little sadistic streak."

"Y…your…family?"

"Yes. Surely you know of the Hyuga clan? Famed users of the Byakugan, and the most powerful family on Konoha. A wonderful clan to be in…" H.H. breathing began to get heavier "…that is, if you're in the Main Branch, but as for the lower branches, well…"

Quill looked at H.H. as he lifted the front of his hair up to show his brow. By what he had just said, it didn't take Quill long to figure out exactly where H.H. had stood within the Hyuga clan, so he had expected to have seen the trademark Hyuga seal placed upon all branch members, forcing them into a life of servitude and obedience.

Instead, he saw that his entire brow was one giant burn mark.

"I'm doing this because I owe a great man my freedom. Without him, I would still be trapped by those bloody main branch assholes, who would blow up my brain just for the slightest disobedience" H.H. stated, his voice passionate "if killing you is the price to pay for my freedom, then I'll gladly pay it a thousand times over."

"H…hey…"

"Hmm?" H.H. mumbled, leaning closer "what was that?"

"What…makes you think…I give a damn!"

H.H. eyes widened with surprise when Quill showed a sudden burst of strength, the Lunar author suddenly pushing H.H. backwards in a flurry. H.H. staggered at first, but was quick to regain his balance.

And stopped right under the ominous cloud.

"**Sky Azure Rain!**" Quill roared, and the ominous cloud above H.H. stirred violently. H.H looked up, and gasped to see several shining shapes fall downwards towards him. They were thin, sharp spikes of ice, falling from the cloud in a sudden gale, impaling any unfortunate soul beneath the cloud. Quill had been charging the attack whilst H.H. was gloating, and even the Byakugan user had not noticed him at work.

"Shit! Byakugan!" H.H. quickly blurted out. Instantly, veins thickened and appeared around his pale white eyes, and Quill knew his eyesight had just improved dramatically.

As the first shards of ice were about to land on him, H.H. quickly slapped each individual slab of ice with great precision, and not a single piece of ice touched his body or injured him in any way. Quill looked on with dire frustration. Probably his final chance at taking out H.H., and in the end it proved to be useless. How could he beat someone who had 360 degree vision?

"Haha! Nice try Author! But even this ain't enough!" H.H. cackled as he continued to block every single piece of ice that rained down upon. His movements were precise, accurate and fast, and yet H.H. did not seem to show the slightest bit of fatigue at the actions.

But then, a single piece of ice grazed his back.

Quill watched with astonishment when H.H. suddenly recoiled in pain as the ice made a long cut down his back. His face was scrunched up in pain, the CP9 agent cursing profoundly and clawing at his wound. Quill was confused, how could he have been injured? He showed quite clearly that he was impossible to sneak up on, for he could see all around him through his Byakugan.

But it soon quickly hit Quill why, a small but fatal weakness a friend of his had told him once of the Hyuga clan. And that alone was enough to make Quill smile.

Because now he knew he had a chance.

* * *

Liberi had never been so certain he was gonna die, and considering his career, that was saying something.

He lied almost motionless on the floor, his body aching head to toe, his own blood dropping on the floor around him. His breathing was heavy, and the dirty, bloodstained ground had touched his lips more than once. It was not where he would've liked to die, but the insane super solider above him wasn't giving him much choice.

Even those his breathing was heavy, Liberi could clearly tell hers was heavier, but hers wasn't from exhaustion and injury, it was from excitement. Private Spartan stood right above the fallen body of Liberi, a single pistol in her hand, almost begging to be fired. Though her face was covered, Liberi guessed by her excitement that she was smiling profusely under her helmet.

"You're not gonna take me away again Freelancer…" Private Spartan whispered madly. She slowly raised the pistol and aimed at his skull "…you'll never take me back. You hear me? I'll never go back! They'll never hurt me again!"

Liberi had figured out long ago that Private Spartan had been on the worse ends of the Covenant War, and had gone through things no one should have to go through. With her PTSD in mind, it was hard for Liberi to truly hate this woman. Even if she was about to kill him.

Allright girl…Liberi though weakly …go on, shoot me. If shooting this corpse will make you feel better, just get on with it.

Liberi heard a single gunfire, but felt no pain.

Liberi managed to turn around, and saw that Private Spartan had taken a few steps back, her body scanning around her frantically. A second gunshot fired, and she successfully dodged it again, but was unable to see where it had fired from.

Some guardian angel had a sniper rifle.

But Liberi knew this guardian angel was safe. Eventually she'll do what she did to Liberi; she'll figure where this mysterious person is firing from, and then he'll be in deep trouble. With a newfound determination, his body managed to ignore the seething pain all of his body as he threw himself up onto his feet. With quick motions, Liberi reached for his belt and took out a single flash smoke grenade, and threw it just beside Private Spartans foot.

A thick cloud of grey gas suddenly surrounded the entire street. Liberi wasted no time using this as a chance to escape, and started sprinting as fast as he could away from the insane assassin. Liberi felt like he ran for hours before he finally stopped to catch his breath, kneeling behind an empty car on an empty street.

As Liberi breathed in and out relentlessly, he felt and heard a crackle in his eardrum. He lifted his hand up to the communicator in his ear, which had somehow managed to not get broke during his beating. A second later, he heard a gruff voice on the opposite end.

_"Did you have to use a smoke grenade? I could've sniped her with…say, a flash grenade. Now I've lost sight of her."_

Liberi was almost frozen with surprise. Not because it was an unknown voice. Quite the opposite; it was a voice he knew all too well.

Liberi was silent for a moment, but eventually made a gruff laugh and replied, "we thought only Advent received the distress call. You're the last person I expected to hear from. Planning to charge us for every bullet you fire?"

_"Now, now, I'm not that unreasonable…I may charge you for every kill however."_ The voice replied plainly, hiding the sarcasm.

Liberi growled, shaking his head "well you'll be earning your pay killing this psycho…if you can kill her."

_"I reiterate my beginning point about you using a smoke grenade. I would've sniped her eventually"_

"No, you wouldn't. You saw yourself, not even sniper bullets can hit her." Liberi explained "this psycho isn't only a SPARTAN-II…she's a Rokushiku user like Nukid. Frankly the only one who could probably take her on is Ranger24."

_"Well then, it's a good thing that's not how us two old soldiers fight, now isn't it?"_ the man stated.

"Oh? Let me guess; you've got a plan?"

_"Bits and pieces in my head, nothing concrete quite yet, but I work well under pressure. It doesn't matter how strong she is, there's a kink in every armour we old soldiers just love to exploit."_

"Bits and pieces huh…" Liberi laughed dryly. Despite the sarcasm though, it was clear to see the old mercenary had newfound hope of not only surviving, but defeating this monstrously powerful opponent. He slowly stood up, and faced towards the street.

"Let's get to work then, Tal Ordo."

* * *

The body of Vongola IX felt soft and defenceless in Nukid's tightening grip.

He had lifted the frail old Timoteo with his bare hands by the throat, the old man gasped for breath under his grip, but Nukid seemed to unconsciously tighten his grip on his neck. Nukid looked up at him with pure rage, he wasn't thinking about what he was doing. The comments he had made about himself, and more accurately, about his failures, had sent him into this uncontrollable rage.

Slowly, Timoteo lifted his head to look down at Nukid, and he smiled at his expression. Weakly, Vongola IX whispered.

"That's it…that's the face…of a man…who has killed hundreds…without mercy."

Just then, a vision flash past his eyes. Or more accurately, a memory.

* * *

"_You… you may look at me with disgust and contempt, but the second you truly lose your cool…" Oldkid let out another cackle "…you've become a mad beast like me!"_

_"Sh-Shut up!"_

_"Don't deny it! You spent so many years training on how to kill, killing is all you know, just like me!" Oldkid stated._

_His word echoed in Nukids head_

_**Killing is all I know….**_

_"The madness and desire to kill that fuels me lives inside you too!"_

_**Lives inside me too…..**_

_"Killing is what you're good at, killing is your only true talent! Don't you get it? The reason you can't beat me is because you're subconsciously holding back!"_

_**Holding back…..**_

_"When Maria died, you lost it and killed hundreds of soldiers! But don't you see Nukid…." Oldkid said, pointing to himself "…THAT FIT OF RAGE GAVE BIRTH TO ME! I was BORN on that night! I AM your inner madness incarnated!"_

_**My madness…incarnated…**_

* * *

Nukid released his grip of Vongola IX, and almost in unison, the two fell to the floor. Nukid felt his hands rub his face hysterically, his entire body shaking violently. The thought of what Oldkid had said, and what he had just done, created a cold, hard fact that admitting made him feel utterly terrified and frightened of himself.

It was laughable how long it took Nukid to comprehend this.

Oldkid was a Darkside of pure madness and killing desire.

And that said madness had come from Nukid himself.

Slowly, Vongola IX got back onto his feet. Despite nearly being choked to death, he was incredibly calm, and did not seem to hurt. Patting off dirt from where he had fallen, he stalked up to Nukid, and knelt beside the shaking assassin, patting him on one shoulder.

"You killed many people in the name of justice…but in the end that justice betrayed you." Timoteo said softly "this left you in the emotional wreck you've become. You're afraid of your own strength and your bottled up rage, so you subconsciously hold yourself back. But I hate to see such raw talent be lost, certainly when he a part of my family."

Just then, Vongola IX reached into his suit and took out a single white envelope, the Vongola seal stamped in the middle. Slowly, he held out the letter for Nukid to take.

"It's addressed to you, Matt. It's from Reborn."


End file.
